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CNN Saturday Morning News

Tropical Storm Fay Over Texas

Aired September 07, 2002 - 08:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Tropical Storm Fay is stalled this morning just off the Texas Gulf Coast and it may be gaining some strength there. But for now, Fay is just dishing out some big waves and heavy rain.
CNN's Ed Lavandera in Galveston -- can you hear me, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can hear you just fine.

CALLAWAY: I know we had some trouble getting to you earlier. It looked like the winds had picked up. How are things now?

LAVANDERA: Well, actually, things are starting to look pretty good here. We're along the sea wall here in Galveston. This is the eastern edge of the storm. You can see the sun starting to break through the clouds here, a rather nice morning as we walk this way. You can see the rising tide that Tropical Storm Fay has brought into this area.

And back here toward the western half of the storm you see that perhaps it's a little bit darker back there. And that's where, toward that area is where a lot of heavier rains have been falling throughout the night. There hasn't been any major flooding or any kind of damage caused throughout the evening, any major reports. There is some flooding in some areas.

But now the major game that is being played here today is a wait and see game, just determining how much rain will fall. This is a very slow moving storm that's coming through Southeastern Texas and, of course, fresh on everyone's mind is Tropical Storm Allison from last year, which moved through this area very slowly, dumping lots of rain, causing billions of dollars of damage and flooding, killing 22 people. So that's exactly what a lot of people around here are concerned about.

But so far none of that has come to light so far. But a lot of the storms expected to just continue to pour rain throughout certain parts of this area throughout the day. But as you can see here, it's, in Galveston at least, the rain has stopped. The wind at its highest points that we felt here were about 40 miles an hour. But for the most part the wind gusts seemed to be about 20 miles an hour here, although we do understand that in the eye of the storm, which is further west from where we are, the wind gusts have reached about 60 miles an hour.

But, again, no major reports of damage. Everything moving smoothly along the seawall here in Galveston, Texas. A lot of, some reports of minor flooding throughout the area but, of course, here just waiting to see exactly what, how much rain Tropical Storm Fay will be bringing to this area throughout the day -- back to you, Catherine.

CALLAWAY: Yes, Ed, it doesn't look like people are really that concerned where you are right now, frolicking there along the seawall. And you said the rain has stopped now, right?

LAVANDERA: Yes, we came out here about five o'clock this morning and we saw, we heard the rain kind of falling throughout the night. The rain started falling, coming in heavier about midnight and the wind gusts were pretty strong. But for the most part this is kind of what we're seeing now. This by no means is a storm that has caused a lot of fear in a lot of people. Just because the winds aren't that strong and it hasn't brought an incredibly powerfully large storm to this area.

But, again, what the major concern is just the potential for flooding, and that's what a lot of people around here will be keeping their eye on throughout the day.

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you.

That's CNN's Ed Lavandera joining us from Galveston.

LAVANDERA: You got it.

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