Tropical Storm Barry Fizzles

Aug. 6, 2001 -- Tropical Storm Barry fizzled into a tropical depression today after bringing torrential rains and 70-mph winds to the Florida Panhandle.

After knocking out power and downing trees in Florida, the storm rapidly lost force and was downgraded to a tropical depression by late morning. Forecasters initially predicted Barry would drop 8 to 10 inches of rain on southern Alabama and Georgia and cause severe inland flooding.

But so far Barry has only sprinkled approximately 2 inches on Alabama, causing a few road closures because of fallen tree limbs.

"There were some reports of structural damage, but nothing major at this time," said Scott Adcock, spokesman for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. "We're hoping this system will keep moving along."

Barry was expected to move into northern Mississippi.

Barry Moves Ashore

The eye of the storm moved ashore near Destin, Fla., just after midnight ET.

The storm sent some Panhandle residents into shelters for the night, including mandatory evacuations on two barrier islands. More than 37,000 homes and businesses lost power amid winds gusting up to 65 mph. By evening, Gulf Power Co. reported that power had been restored to 98 percent of the homes and businesses.

At 8 a.m. ET, the storm's center was about 55 miles south of Selma,Ala., and moving north-northwest at about 13 mph. Forecasters expected the storm to move gradually to the northwest later today.

Tricia Wallace, meteorologist at Miami's National Hurricane Center, said Barry isn't the only storm on the radar in what has so far been a typical Atlantic storm season.

"We do have another system that we are watching that's out in the eastern Atlantic, so it's a good ways away from the United States and the Caribbean Islands," she said. "But we are watching that. That has the potential for development."

Barry an Unwelcome Vacation Guest

Francine Agnelo, a longtime Panhandle-area resident and a desk manager at a Holiday Inn in Pensacola, said locals were used to tropical storms or even more severe weather.

"We're pretty much keeping an eye on it," she said. "You do what you can do. You get your batteries you make sure you have flashlights. You make sure you have water the things like that that you need.

"We never have a blasé attitude about it," she added. "But when I say we're used to it, I was born and raised in this area so we know pretty much what to do. I've been through quite a few hurricanes." ABCNEWS' Andrew Colton, Robert Pankau, meteorologist Gerard McNiff and ABCNEWS radio contributed to this report.