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Weakened Beryl still dumping rain on Southeast

Posted at 7:33 AM, May 28, 2012
and last updated 2012-05-28 18:11:20-04

By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) - After ruining Memorial Day plans along the Florida and Georgia coasts, the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl are forecast to bring more rain to the Carolinas.

The National Hurricane Center said Monday evening it expects the storm to move over the southern portions of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina over the next 48 hours.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, Beryl, downgraded to a tropical depression, was centered about 10 miles east of Valdosta, Georgia, and about 150 miles southwest of Savannah.

Beryl's maximum sustained winds Monday evening were near 30 mph, down 5 mph from Monday morning, and the hurricane center said there will be little change in strength over the coming days.

It was still producing lots of rain and creating dangerous surf conditions, including rip currents, along the coast from northeastern Florida to North Carolina, the hurricane center said.

Beryl made landfall just after midnight Sunday near Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

The storm caused Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown to cancel all Memorial Day ceremonies. A Memorial Day event at the Veterans Cemetery in nearby St. Augustine also was canceled, CNN affiliate WTLV reported.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority suspended all bus routes to area beaches.

Twelve flights scheduled to leave Jacksonville were canceled Monday, according to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.

The storm's powerful winds also knocked out power across the region and roads and bridges to close.

Beryl cut short weekend plans for hundreds of campers and day-trippers to Georgia's Cumberland Island National Seashore as they were ordered to leave ahead of the storm, the National Park Service said.

Beryl was the second named storm of the year, preceding the June 1 official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. It never became a hurricane, peaking only as a tropical storm over the weekend.

A storm surge and high tide could cause coastal flooding of up to 2 feet along the coasts of Georgia and Florida, according to the hurricane center.

Beryl is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain along parts of the Southeastern coast, with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches.

Though it wrecked holiday plans, Beryl is bringing much needed rain to the area, most of which is experiencing an "extreme" or "exceptional" drought, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which tracks drought conditions nationwide.

CNN's Sarah Dillingham, Devon Sayers, Chandler Friedman, Ed Payne, Jessica Jordan and Ric Ward contributed to this report.