Type Tornado outbreak Tornadoes confirmed 50 Duration of tornado outbreak ~10 days | Duration August 18–27, 2008 Max rating Damage $4.2 million | |
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The 2008 Tropical Storm Fay tornado outbreak was a prolonged tropical cyclone-produced severe-weather event that affected the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States from August 18–27, 2008.
Background
On August 6, 2008, a tropical wave emerged over the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. Tracking westward, the system gradually organized into a tropical depression on August 15 just west of Puerto Rico. After making landfall in the Dominican Republic, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Fay. Turning west-northwestward, the system crossed Haiti and Cuba while gradually intensifying. The system emerged over the Florida Straits on August 18 and struck Key West before turning northeastward and striking the southern Florida Peninsula. Despite moving onshore, the system continued to organize, developing an eye and attaining peak winds just below hurricane-force.
Weakening steering currents caused Fay's motion to become slow and erratic, with the system emerging back over the Atlantic Ocean only to turn westward and strike Florida again by August 21. This slow motion continued for the remainder of the storm's track as it briefly moved back over the Gulf of Mexico before turning inland again. Weakening to a tropical depression, Fay moved slowly northwest before turning northeast over Mississippi. It into an extratropical cyclone on August 27 before being absorbed by a larger system over Kentucky the following day.