Thanks Mr. Bond. I just spent an hour trying to find local amounts of rainfall for that period, with little luck. I found some that said towns in Seminole county (where I live) got over 15 inches of rain. Orange County had different areas that ranged from 3.5 to over 7 inches of rain. I just did not realize 15 miles could make that much of a difference
- but obviously it did.
I did some research and best place is NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration). I pulled the archive and this is what was listed for Hurricane Fay:
"FAY WAS A LONG-LIVED AND SLOWLY-MOVING TROPICAL STORM THAT SPENT
MOST OF ITS LIFE CENTERED NEAR OR OVER LAND...DUMPING HEAVY RAINS
THAT PRODUCED DAMAGING AND DEADLY FLOODS OVER PORTIONS OF THE
GREATER ANTILLES AND FLORIDA. ORIGINATING FROM A TROPICAL
WAVE...FAY FORMED ON 15 AUGUST AS A TROPICAL STORM WITH MAXIMUM
WINDS OF ABOUT 40 MPH AS IT CROSSED THE EASTERN COAST OF
HISPANIOLA. ITS STRENGTH CHANGED LITTLE AS IT TRAVERSED THAT ISLAND
AND THE WINDWARD PASSAGE ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE STORM GAINED A
LITTLE STRENGTH WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF ABOUT 50 MPH ON 17 AUGUST AS
ITS CENTER PASSED JUST OFFSHORE THE SOUTHERN COAST OF EASTERN CUBA.
RESPONDING TO A BREAK IN A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER FLORIDA...FAY
TURNED NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD OVER CENTRAL CUBA THE NEXT DAY. MAXIMUM
WINDS INCREASED TO ABOUT 60 MPH AS THE STORM MOVED INTO THE FLORIDA
STRAITS...AND THE CENTER OF THE CYCLONE PASSED OVER THE LOWER
FLORIDA KEYS LATE ON 18 AUGUST. FAY TURNED NORTHEASTWARD ON 19
AUGUST...MAKING LANDFALL EARLY THAT DAY ON THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST
OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA AT CAPE ROMANO WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 60
MPH. AFTER MOVING INLAND...FAY UNUSUALLY STRENGTHENED...EXHIBITING
WHAT RESEMBLED A CLASSICAL EYE IN RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY...AND
IT REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF ABOUT 65 MPH AS IT PASSED OVER THE
WESTERN SHORES OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE. IN CONTRAST...DURING 20-23
AUGUST...CONTINUED INTERACTION WITH THE LANDMASS OF NORTHERN
FLORIDA PREVENTED STRENGTHENING...AND FAY'S MAXIMUM WINDS REMAINED
50-60 MPH DURING MOST OF THAT PERIOD. THE CENTER OF FAY MADE TWO
BRIEF REAPPEARANCES OVER WATER...OFF THE NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA COAST
ON 20-21 AUGUST...AND OVER APALACHEE BAY EARLY ON 23 AUGUST. UNDER
THE INFLUENCE OF A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN UNITED
STATES...FAY HEADED SLOWLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE ON 23 AUGUST...FINALLY WEAKENING TO A DEPRESSION EARLY
THE NEXT DAY. FAY REMAINED A DEPRESSION FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS
AS IT MOVED SLOWLY OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES...AND
EVENTUALLY DEGENERATED INTO A REMNANT LOW OVER NORTHERN ALABAMA ON
26 AUGUST. DUE TO FAY'S VERY SLOW MOTION...STORM-TOTAL RAINFALL
AMOUNTS IN SOME AREAS WERE STAGGERING...INCLUDING A FEW LOCATIONS
IN EAST-CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT RECEIVED MORE THAN TWO FEET OF RAIN.
FAY'S RAIN-INDUCED FLOODS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGES AND WERE
DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR NUMEROUS DEATHS IN THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC...HAITI...AND FLORIDA. HOWEVER...FINAL FATALITY TOTALS AND
DAMAGE COST ESTIMATES HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMPILED."
