Angelica Perez, two years old (left), holds on to her cousin Adelina Martinez, three years old, as they and Alicia Martinez, 10, ride in a flat bottom boat on the street in Everglades City, Florida. yesterday. Tropical Storm Fay rolled ashore in Florida yesterday short of hurricane strength, but mysteriously gained speed as it headed over land, bringing heavy rain, high wind and tornadoes. - AP

NAPLES, Fla (AP):

Tropical Storm Fay rolled ashore in Florida yesterday short of hurricane strength, but mysteriously gained speed as it headed over land, bringing heavy rain and high wind but no major damage.

The storm caused some local flooding, downed trees and plunged 58,000 homes and businesses into the dark. Water was knee deep in some streets, but many residents said the storm wasn't as bad as they feared.

"We're still here," said Corey Knapp, resident manager of the Ivey House, a bed and breakfast in Everglades City.

Still, forecasters were watching as the storm gathered strength, its top sustained winds increasing by five mph to 65 mph at 3 pm. The development was unusual because the storm was away from its energy source of warm ocean waters.

Occasionally strengthen

Tropical storms and hurricanes do occasionally strengthen while over land, said Eric Blake, a specialist at the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters are not certain why it is occurring with Fay, but its pressure was dropping as it made landfall and that usually leads to stronger winds, he said. It also moved over the flat, swampy Everglades, which has ample warm water that storms need for energy.

"A strong tropical storm can be very significant," Blake said, pointing to wind damage in the state's interior and the possibility of flooding from the up to 15 inches of rain expected in parts of central Florida.

Residents said the biggest problems were heavy rain, wind, and some debris-strewn streets. In South Florida, most businesses opted to go without any shutters or other window protection. Of those that did, some plywood carried messages aimed at major storms from the past - "Pop Off Charley" and "Oh Wilma!" among them.

Hungry surfers

At the 7-Eleven near the beach in Naples, assistant manager Diana Eslick was getting ready for hungry surfers looking for food before they took advantage of Fay's waves.

"So far it's going good. We have power and everything. It's just been windy and rainy," she said.

Flooding remained a concern as Fay heads up the Florida peninsula, with rainfall amounts forecast between five and 15 inches. The storm could also push tides one to three feet above normal and spawn tornadoes.

Governor Charlie Crist was visiting Key West and Naples yesterday to see the minor damage and thank local emergency managers for their help.