Gabrielle Soaks Fla., Heads to Sea
Tropical Storm Gabrielle headed out to sea Saturday after a drenching, daylong passage across the Florida peninsula that at its peak left half a million homes and businesses in the dark.
Nearly 160,000 homes and businesses remained without power Saturday night. Utilities said they expected to have all service restored by tonight.
At 11 p.m. EDT, Gabrielle was 150 miles south-southeast of Cape Fear, N.C., and was heading northeast at 14 mph. Winds had increased to 60 mph, but the rain bands had moved offshore.
“It’s holding its own; it’s not getting any weaker,” said Stacy Stewart, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center here. “But other than some storm surge flooding, we don’t see any threat to the mainland now that the system has moved off the Florida coast.”
Gabrielle came ashore Friday morning with 70-mph winds. Several tornadoes caused some minor damage, and floating docks and sailboats broke lose and were damaged. More than 11 inches of rain fell in some areas.
Tropical storm warnings were dropped late Saturday for Florida and southern Georgia. Gale warnings extended north to Cape Hatteras, N.C.
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