Florida braced for tropical storm

Tropical Storm Fay has hit the south-west coast of Florida with heavy rains and strong winds. Forecasters had earlier warned that Fay could reach hurricane force, but later said the storm should weaken after making landfall. The storm crossed the Florida Keys and made landfall at about 0500 (0900 GMT) at Cape Romano, just south of Naples, with winds of about 60mph (96km/h). A curfew was in place in Naples, but no serious damage was reported. With a state of emergency in place, Florida Governor Charlie Crist said about 500 national guard members had been deployed, with another 8,500 on standby. Power cuts were affecting about 5,800 residents on Marco Island, Collier County officials reported. They also said 148 people had spent the night in storm shelters. Further north in the Tampa Bay area, schools and government offices remained closed. However an evacuation order in Pinellas County for mobile home residents and others in vulnerable areas was lifted when the storm failed to reach hurricane status. Approximately 140 flights at Southwest Florida International Airport (KRSW/RSW) in Fort Myers have been delayed. There have also been some delays at Tampa International Airport (KTPA/TPA). According to meteorologists at Wilkens Weather Technologies, the storm will likely move in a north-northeasterly direction and will weaken over the next 24 hours.