Beryl slams Florida, Georgia, then mercifully loses force | WPN World People News

Tropical Storm Beryl moved across northeastern Florida and southern Georgia Monday, bringing drenching rains, strong winds and the threat of flooding to the southeastern US coast, weather forecasters said.

But it soon lost momentum and was downgraded to a tropical depression.

The storm soaked some Memorial Day remembrance services in Georgia and Florida and knocked out electricity in thousands of homes.

The storm hit the coast Monday post -midnight near Jacksonville Beach in Florida with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph (113 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

However, the wind speeds died down to about 35 mph (55 kph), leading to a downgrade of the storm to a tropical depression and all warnings were cancelled.

In Georgia, rain sprayed the 100-mile coast, as veterans marched in observances for Memorial Day.

Though it ruined holiday plans, the rain was welcome in Georgia which has been hit by persistent drought.

In McIntosh County south of Savannah, a few roadways were flooded with the rain, but cleared off after some time.

Georgia reported about 2,900 people were without power Monday morning, while Jacksonville said 20,000 were without power and bus service was canceled because of flooded roads, downed power lines and trees.

Beryl formed off the South Carolina coast late Friday as a subtropical storm. Subtropical storms have a broader wind field than tropical storms and rain and thunderstorm activity farther removed from the storm's center.

Beryl was reclassified as a tropical storm on Sunday.

Source: United States News.Net