#Tropical Storm Fred expected to slam Florida coast today

Tropical Storm Fred is forecast to slam into the Florida Panhandle Monday evening, packing sustained winds up to 60 mph and threatening dangerous storm surges.

The storm is expected to make landfall between Panama City and Pensacola around 5 p.m., with a tropical storm warning in effect through much of the region, the National Hurricane Center said Monday in an advisory.

The low-pressure system, one of three off the US coast, is expected to move north into Alabama and Georgia with strong winds and up to 10 inches of rain after striking Florida, the center said.

“Heavy rainfall across portions of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic States could lead to flash, urban, small stream and isolated river flooding impacts,” the advisory said. “And increased risk of landslides exists across the mountains of North Carolina as well as portions of the Blue Ridge Escarpment on Tuesday.”

Flash floods could strike as far north as Atlanta and even reach Washington, DC, by Wednesday, ABC News reported Monday.

In addition to Fred, Tropical Depression Grace is expected to hit Haiti Monday in the wake of a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the country over the weekend, killing nearly 1,300 people.

As of Monday morning, Grace was moving toward the Mexican coast with sustained winds of 35 mph, the hurricane center said.

A third storm system, which could be named Tropical Storm Henri if it continues to strengthen, formed near Bermuda on Monday morning, the center said.

That system was carrying 40-mph winds, the center said.