JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The storms that brought two days of rain -- heavy at times -- and weather watches and warnings across northeast Florida and southeast Georgia have moved off the coast.
For much of Monday and Tuesday, most of Channel 4's viewing area was under a tornado watch. Some rotation the National Weather Service spotted on radar Tuesday morning prompted a tornado warning as the storm cell moved from southern Putnam County northeast into St. Johns County, but no touchdown or damage was reported.
Over the last 72 hours, the heaviest rainfall was west and north of Jacksonville -- just over 6 inches of rain in Baker County, 5.3 inches in Charlton County and more than 4 inches in Columbia and Ware counties. Jacksonville International Airport received 3.85 inches, and Craig Airport recorded 2.23 inches.
The southern part of the viewing area received little rainfall out of the passing front: 0.79 inches in St. Augustine and barely more than a trace in Putnam and Flagler counties.
Columbia County emergency management reports trees down across the county -- one through a house near Dewy Street -- and the roof of a shed blown off in Fort White. The National Weather Service reports that several trees were also down near Highway 129 in Suwannee County.
Because heavy rains in southeast Georgia over the last several days have made some roads impassable, Brantley County closed its schools on Tuesday and Wednesday. Flood warnings are out in Brantley and Glynn counties and flood watches in Baker, Camden Charlton, Columbia, Duval, Nassau and Ware counties.
Channel 4's Richard Nunn said the sun will warm Tuesday afternoon's temperatures into the 70s. The rest of the work week will be clear and dry, with freezing temperatures possible as we head into the weekend.