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MIAMI : Tropical Storm Fay was poised Thursday to turn around and cross mainland Florida a second time with massive rains and heavy winds as Governor Charlie Crist asked federal authorities to declare the state a disaster area.
Holding stationary over the northeastern part of Florida for hours, Fay dumped rains of 50 to 75 centimeters (20 to 30 inches) in some parts of the state, and caused widespread flooding.
"This storm is turning into a serious catastrophic flooding event, particularly in southern Brevard County," Crist said on Wednesday as he sought the emergency declaration that would give Florida access to US federal disaster assistance funds.
In his request, Crist told President George W. Bush that federal emergency funds are needed "to save lives and to protect property, public health and safety."
As of 11 am (1500 GMT) Fay's center was holding still some 20 kilometers (15 miles) northeast of Daytona Beach, on Florida's Atlantic coast, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in a statement.
"Fay has been stationary during the past several hours," it said. "A slow motion toward the west-northwest is forecast to begin soon and continue for the next couple of days," carrying the storm across the northern Florida peninsula.
"But (it is) taking its time," the center added.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of near 95 kilometers (60 miles) an hour with higher gusts, though it is expected to weaken as it moves west toward Florida's Gulf Coast panhandle by early Saturday.
The storm is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of five to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) ... with isolated amounts of 15 inches (38 centimeters) possible across northern Florida, the center said.
Since it powered up from the Caribbean just short of hurricane strength last weekend, Fay has crisscrossed the southeastern US state, first blasting the tourist-heavy Keys, then plowing up the west coast before making landfall Tuesday and crossing very slowly to the northeast.
The storm has spawned tornadoes, flooded some 50,000 homes and knocked out power to 100,000 people.
Earlier in the Caribbean, Fay left a trail of destruction and at least 40 deaths -- particularly in Haiti, where a truck carrying around 60 passengers plunged into a swollen river during the storm.
- AFP /ls
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