&sq=&lang=&file=File:Fay_2020-07-10_1725Z.jpg) Tropical Storm Fay at peak intensity shortly before landfall in New Jersey on July 10 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 9, 2020 |
| Remnant low | July 11, 2020 |
| Dissipated | July 12, 2020 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 60 mph (95 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 998 mbar (hPa); 29.47 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 6 total |
| Damage | $220 million (2020 USD) |
| Areas affected | Eastern Southeastern United States, East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Canada |
Part of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Fay was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in the U.S state of New Jersey since Hurricane Irene in 2011. The sixth named storm of the very active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Fay was the earliest sixth named storm on record in the basin when it formed on July 9. Fay originated from a surface low that formed over the Northern Gulf of Mexico on July 3 and slowly drifted eastward, before crossing over the Florida Panhandle. The system subsequently drifted across the Southeastern United States as a well-defined low pressure system, before emerging off the coast of North Carolina on July 8. From there, the storm utilized favorable conditions for development, or tropical cyclogenesis, and coalesced into a tropical storm on July 9. The storm intensified, reaching its peak intensity on July 10, with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 998 millibars (29.5 inHg). While moving northward, Fay made landfall on New Jersey later that day. After making landfall, the storm quickly lost most of its organization and rapidly transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone over New York on July 11, before being absorbed by a larger extratropical low over Quebec on July 12.
Fay's precursor disturbance was responsible for extensive rainfall and flash flooding in the Southeastern United States, especially within Georgia and South Carolina. After its landfall, Tropical Storm Fay brought high winds and stormy weather to much of the Mid-Atlantic states and the Northeastern United States, with the heaviest rains occurring west of Long Island. Six people were killed by rip currents and flooding related to the storm. Many interstates and other principal highways throughout the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas were flooded and were left impassable, leading to widespread road closures and disruption to commuters. Uprooted trees and damaged power lines from windy conditions caused thousands of power outages in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Total economic losses from Fay in the United States exceeded US$220 million.