Tropical Storm Fred makes landfall, slams Florida Panhandle

Tropical Storm Fred slammed the Florida Panhandle on Monday afternoon, making landfall with a wet slap of heavy rain and blasting winds at 65 miles per hour (104 kph).

The powerful storm struck the coast at 3:15 p.m. EST, about 25 miles west of Apalachicola, close to the city of Port St. Joe, home to some 3,500 residents, said Andrew Hagen, marine forecaster at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). Before hitting the coast, the storm battered the Florida barrier island of Cape San Blas, Hagen said.