Tropical Storm Fay brings flooding to Ocean City, Eastern Shore Storm latest in flurry of earlier-than-usual tropical activity in Atlantic

Maryland's Eastern Shore was inundated with heavy rain Friday as Tropical Storm Fay moved north on the Mid-Atlantic coast, bringing nearly 6 inches of rain to some areas of Ocean City.

The National Weather Service said that as of 1 p.m., heavy rain from the tropical storm had moved out of the Eastern Shore and made its way into northeast Maryland, bringing high winds and flash flooding in some areas.

Streets were flooding in Ocean City early Friday, with police advising drivers to avoid the south end of town due to high waters. Police added at noon that high tide was expected to cause more flooding in the area during the afternoon.

Ocean City saw 5.4 inches of rain, while inland areas saw up to two inches.

Flash flooding was also occurring along southern Delaware beaches, including Bethany Beach.

Winds gusted as high as 41 mph at Ocean City Municipal Airport, but began to calm by midday.

Authorities warned of dangerous surf conditions at Maryland and Delaware beaches through Friday.

"Breaking waves of 4 to 6 ft will result in rough surf conditions and a high risk of rip currents," the weather service said.

Fay is the latest in a flurry of earlier-than-usual tropical activity in the Atlantic this year.

The sixth Atlantic tropical storm of 2020, it is the earliest F-named storm on record in the Atlantic. It has formed almost two weeks ahead of the previous record-holder, Tropical Storm Franklin, which developed July 22, 2005, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Philip Klotzbach.

It is relatively rare for a tropical system to form along the East Coast at this time of year - it's more typical in September or October. But Atlantic waters are abnormally warm, providing energy and fuel for storms to strengthen.

The sixth Atlantic storm of the season forms on or around Sept. 8, on average.

Fay is forecast to move near the New Jersey Coast this afternoon and evening and inland over the mid-Atlantic states and the northeast tonight and Saturday. Tropical storm warnings are in effect stretching from Delaware to Rhode Island. The storm is expected to produce 2-4 inches of rain from Delaware into New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, southeast New York and southern New England.

In response to the storm's expected route into the northeast, President Donald Trump postponed a rally in New Hampshire that was scheduled for Saturday.