#Fay downgraded to tropical depression after making landfall in southern NYC

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An outdoor restaurant that left its seating outside as Tropical Storm Fay bears down on Manhattan
Taidgh Barron

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Fay weakened into a tropical depression early Saturday morning, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 2 a.m. advisory that the storm has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it moves over southern New York.

Fay had closed beaches and flooded shore town streets after it made landfall Friday afternoon in New Jersey. It weakened once it hit land and was expected to quickly become a post-tropical low, then dissipate on Sunday, forecasters said.

The forecast track put the depression over portions of eastern New York later Saturday, then moving into western New England and southeastern Canada. The depression was moving at 17 mph, forecasters said.

A tropical storm warning that had been issued from East Rockaway, New York, to Watch Hill, Rhode Island was ended with the National Hurricane Center’s early morning update. No watches or warnings were in effect for the depression.

Forecasters said Fay was expected to produce 1 to 3 inches of rain, with flash flooding possible in some areas.

Fay was the earliest sixth-named storm on record, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. The previous record was Franklin on July 22, 2005, Klotzbach tweeted.

Two named storms formed before the official June 1 start of the hurricane season. None of this season’s previous five named storms strengthened into hurricanes.