Fay lashes Florida for fifth day

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Flooded neighbourhoods in Florida

Tropical Storm Fay has been lashing Florida for a fifth day and become the first storm to make landfall three times in the state for almost 50 years.

With winds of up to 95km/h (60mph), Fay has dumped 60cm (2ft) of rain over several areas, causing heavy flooding and leaving thousands without power.

The storm has been following an erratic path, criss-crossing the state rather than heading out over the Atlantic.

It has killed at least 20 people since it formed in the Atlantic last week.

Most of those deaths were reported in the Caribbean, but on Thursday two women drowned in storm-churned waves off Flagler Beach, Florida.

In some flooded areas along Florida's low-lying coastline, residents have been warned to be wary of alligators and snakes forced from their habitats in search of dry land.

Tornado warnings

The sixth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season has been moving slowly west across northern Florida towards the Gulf of Mexico. At 0500 EDT (0900 GMT) on Friday, it was centred near Gainesville, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Having formed more than a week ago, Fay tore through Haiti and the Dominican Republic before drenching parts of Cuba.

Heading north, the storm first made landfall in the Florida Keys on Monday.

It then headed out over open water before hitting land for a second time near Naples on Florida's south-western coast.

Advancing slowly north-east across the state, Fay reached the Atlantic before veering west and making landfall again late on Thursday.

US President George W Bush had earlier issued a federal disaster declaration for affected areas.

Emergency officials are due to survey the damage as the floodwaters slowly begin to recede.

The National Hurricane Center has meanwhile warned that isolated tornadoes are possible in parts of northern Florida, southern Georgia and southern South Carolina.

Forecasters say the storm is expected to weaken as it moves through the western tip of northern Florida and then into Alabama in the coming days.