Tropical Storm Beryl Makes Landfall Along Florida Coast Near Jacksonville Beach

Beryl formed Friday in the southwestern Atlantic

Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall early Monday along the coast of Florida near Jacksonville Beach, the National Hurricane Center said.

The center of Beryl, which will not have a direct impact on South Florida, made landfall at 12:10 a.m. with an estimated intensity of 70 mph.

After making landfall, Beryl was expected to move west-northwestward and then turn northward over portions of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia through Monday.

At 11 p.m. Sunday, Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was moving toward the west at 7 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was located about 35 miles east of Jacksonville and about 75 miles south-southeast of Brunswick, Ga. 

Beryl was just below hurricane strength and little change in strength was expected before it makes landfall. Weakening is expected after landfall. It was expected to weaken to a tropical depression by Monday night.

Tropical storm force winds extend out up to 115 miles from the center.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued from north Florida to the coast of South Carolina after 

Beryl formed in the Atlantic Friday.

A tropical storm warning is still in effect from Volusia/Brevard county line in Florida to Edisto Beach in South Carolina.

About four to eight inches of rain are expected to hit the southeastern coast, from north Florida through southeastern North Carolina.

The southeast coast is popular with tourists who visit the beaches and wilderness areas and generally throng to many of its beach communities and resort towns each Memorial Day weekend.

"A three-day thunderstorm is what it's probably going to be," said Jay Wiggins, emergency management director for Glynn County, which is about 60 miles south of Savannah and includes Brunswick and St. Simons Island in Georgia. "Unfortunately, it's going to ruin a lot of Memorial Day plans."

In Jacksonville, Sunday's jazz festival and Memorial Day ceremony were canceled. Workers are also out clearing tree limbs and debris that could be tossed about by the storm's winds.

But business was booming at Red Dog Surf Shop in New Smyrna Beach, where customers flocked to buy boards and wax in anticipation of the storm's high waves. Officials all along the coast warned of rip currents, waves and high tides - all of which can be dangerous but also tend to attract adventurous surfers.

Joe Murphy, a spokesman for the Ritz Carlton in Amelia Island, said he was not seeing a flood of checkouts or people trying to get off the island. The hotel expected about 140 checkouts out of 466 rooms, he said.

Outdoor dining had been moved inside and the hotel set up movies and family game activities, but the hotel had no plans to board up or move patio furniture inside.

``So far it's kind of business as usual, but with that sort of anticipation of what does the storm mean,'' Murphy said.
 

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Copyright AP - Associated Press
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