Tropical Storm Blusters Over Florida; Damage Slight

Tropical Storm Keith blustered across Florida’s midsection Wednesday, damaging homes, battering beaches and bringing up to 6 inches of rain.

Officials reported no major damage or injuries from the storm, which generated winds up to 65 m.p.h. in a path ranging from the Sarasota area on the Gulf Coast to Cape Canaveral on the east.

Forecasters said the storm was headed toward Bermuda, but would dwindle in strength considerably before reaching the island.

The space shuttle Atlantis, perched on its Atlantic seashore launch pad, was unscathed and the storm will have no impact on its scheduled Dec. 1 launch, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration spokeswoman said. Workers mopped up rainwater that blew into its aft compartment.

Red Cross officials said more than 500 residents of low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast returned to their homes Wednesday after spending the night in shelters.

“Keith was just below hurricane strength and, as we thought, the main problem was coastal erosion,” said Bob Sheets, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. “Now it’s going out over the Atlantic . . . it’s not going to intensify, it’s going to just keep moving. Bermuda could get some tropical storm conditions over there, so we’re keeping an eye on that.”

Keith stormed ashore after midnight near Sarasota, which “may have experienced the most substantial damage,” said Dick Morgan of the state Division of Emergency Management. Officials estimated about 10 feet of beach was eroded.

Tampa, Orlando, Daytona and the Cape Canaveral area reported from 5 to 6 inches of rain.

Sand blown by Keith was up to the doorknobs of some beachfront motels in Naples on the Gulf Coast, and workers with bulldozers and shovels began digging them out.