Storm Threatens To Move Inland Once Again, Stronger Than Before

NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Titusville, FL will remain closed Wednesday because of the potential wind threat to workers from Tropical Storm Fay. Center managers decided Wednesday morning to keep Kennedy closed another day to general personnel through at least workers' second shift, which ends late Wednesday night.

Managers planned to reevaluate the situation at 1100 EDT, and will update employees by noon through the center's hurricane phone lines and the agency's emergency operations Web site.

About 200 emergency personnel, known as a "ride-out crew", remained on site through out the storm. They will begin making initial damage assessments two hours after the sustained wind drops below 58 mph and if there is daylight. The ride-out team hoped that would come sometime Wednesday... though the slow-moving storm may wreck those plans.

So far, there are no reports of any injuries or damage associated with Fay at the center. The storm is forecast to pass over Kennedy around mid-day and move off shore by the afternoon.

The top sustained wind recorded at Kennedy overnight was about 66 mph with peak gusts about 77 mph. The center is forecast to experience tropical force wind through Wednesday afternoon.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also remains closed Wednesday.

It's little comfort to Floridians... but Fay gives NASA the opportunity to take some really cool photographs. The image above was taken by Jesse Allen, MODIS Rapid Response team as NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, when Fay was off the northwest coast of Cuba earlier this week.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/eoc, www.nasa.gov/kennedy