Tropical Storm Helene Dissipates Amid Flooding Concerns
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back in this country now, another developing story this morning. Literally, Tropical Storm Helene now weakening as it comes onshore, but still soaking the Florida Panhandle. There is rain and there is wind involved in the storm. Brian Cabell, live now, from Fort Walton Beach, with us this morning. How are things thus far, Brian?</s>BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tell you, Bill, about 90 minutes ago we had rain and we had blustery winds, but take a look out here right now. What we have is a cloudy day. We have people walking along the beach over here. We have winds -- we have a breeze about seven or eight miles per hour, I'd estimate, an occasional sprinkle, not much, waves perhaps five- or six-feet high. There is a fellow on a boogie board over there. So, that gives you a sense that this is, perhaps, not the most dangerous of conditions. We talked to a county official one county over from here. He said they have had heavy rain for the last three hours, but winds topping out at only 30 miles per hour. They never had to close the bridges. He said, essentially, this has been a good exercise for emergency officials. So, again, Tropical Storm Helene was really not much at all. We had heavy rains here for about three or four hours just before dawn. But, for the most part, this has been just a good drenching, two or three inches here. The big concern, right now, is that as it moves inland we will have some inland flooding and also, of course, there is the possibility of tornadoes. But, for the coastline it escaped. Helene was really not much, presented no problems whatsoever. Schools were closed down. Government offices were closed down, but that was primarily as a precaution. I'm Brian Cabell, CNN live, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.</s>HEMMER: Brian, thank you. Now, just a rainmaker, here's Flip with more. Coming our way, Flip?</s>FLIP SPICELAND, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Bill, you called it a developing story; we'll call it an undeveloping story. Now, it is weakening very rapidly as it moves on shore. If you are plotting the storm, these are the latest statistics. The center of the storm is still near Fort Walton Beach, but that's misleading, because the center of the storm has never been the problem. The problem has been well to the east of the center of the storm throughout the entire life of this system. And that continues to be the case. And as Bill said, that's moving up through Alabama and Georgia right now. The wind speeds are now down to 45 miles an hour. It may not be a tropical storm with next advisory, due in at 11:00 this morning, Eastern time. Here's the satellite photography. Center of the storm right here, you don't see much rotation. As a matter of fact, the statement from the National Hurricane Center, the individual forecasting it said: If I didn't have Air Force reconnaissance on it I wouldn't even know I had a tropical storm. Here you can see it moving on shore. Still a tropical storm strength with our next bulletin, but then after that it begins to weaken. It moves up through Georgia and the Carolinas, carrying the rainfall with it. Flash flood watches are in effect along that track, and there are still, at this hour, tropical storm warnings in effect along the coast. They may be dropped in a just few hours too. Some wind advisories, but Bill, Daryn, I'll tell you the truth, the wind has not been a problem with this one and not expected to be. We'll have more a little bit later.</s>HEMMER: All right, Flip, thank you.