Tropical Storm Fay (2020)
Tropical Storm Fay peaked at 50 kt in the North Atlantic between July 5, 2020 and July 11, 2020, with a lowest pressure of 998 mb, and made landfall. It killed 2 people directly and did $220 million of damage in the United States, by the National Hurricane Center’s count.
Track and intensity
The whole track of Tropical Storm Fay, colored by strength, with the other storms of the 2020 season in the same basin behind it, and its wind and pressure hour by hour. Every fix is in the track table below.
The storm
- Basin
- North Atlantic
- Dates
- July 5, 2020 to July 11, 2020
- Peak strength
- Tropical Storm, 50 kt (58 mph)
- Lowest pressure
- 998 mb (29.47 inHg)
- Landfall
- Yes
- Accumulated cyclone energy
- 1.1
- Tropical-storm-force wind reached
- 120 nmi (222 km, 138 mi) from the center at its widest
- Eyewall radius at its peak
- 60 nmi (111 km, 69 mi)
- Overall size
- 210 nmi (389 km, 242 mi) to the outermost closed isobar
- Peak gust in the best track
- 60 kt (69 mph)
- Fastest the center moved
- 20 kt (23 mph)
- Identifier
- AL062020
Deaths and damage
The sources count different things and are not added together.
National Hurricane Center
2 direct deaths$220 million in the United States
The season table in NHC’s report archive, final report. Direct deaths are those caused by the storm’s own wind, water or surge, anywhere in the world.
NOAA Storm Events
2 deaths (1 direct, 1 indirect)$4,000
What National Weather Service offices recorded county by county in 6 states and marine areas, in the United States only. Property and crop damage as each office estimated it, which is not a national loss total.
Landfall
| Time (UTC) | Where | Position | Wind | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 20:00 | Brigantine, NJ, 3 km away | 39.4N 74.4W | 45 kt (52 mph) | 999 mb |
Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.
In the United States
NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.
- Deaths
- 2 (1 direct, 1 indirect)
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $4,000
- Crop damage
- none recorded
- Events recorded
- 72 in 9 reports from 6 states and marine areas
State by state
| State or marine area | Deaths | Injuries | Damage | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 39 | |
| New York | 1 | 0 | 10 | |
| Maine | 0 | 0 | $4,000 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 0 | 14 | |
| Delaware | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Atlantic North | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What was recorded
59 flash flood, 8 tropical storm, 2 rip current, 2 tornado, 1 marine tropical storm.
Tornadoes and waterspouts
2 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.
| Rating | County | State | Time (UTC) | Path | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | Oxford | Maine | Jul 11, 19:31 | 0.1 mi | 100 yd | ||
| EF0 | Cumberland | Maine | Jul 11, 19:33 | 4.8 mi | 100 yd |
Rainfall
The Weather Prediction Center attributes 4,431 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 12.96 inches (329 mm).
| Station | Total | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Helena 7.0 E | 12.96 in (329 mm) | 32.38N 80.44W |
| WILKES-BARRE INTL ARPT | 9.60 in (244 mm) | 41.33N 75.73W |
| Edisto Beach 2.7 N | 8.37 in (213 mm) | 32.53N 80.31W |
| Vero Beach South 2.4 WNW | 7.57 in (192 mm) | 27.63N 80.45W |
| LEWES 1 SW | 6.97 in (177 mm) | 38.77N 75.14W |
| North Augusta 6.2 N | 6.68 in (170 mm) | 33.61N 81.96W |
| North Augusta 4.2 NE | 6.62 in (168 mm) | 33.56N 81.90W |
| Trenton 6.5 SSW | 6.60 in (168 mm) | 33.66N 81.89W |
| Ocean Pines 0.9 SSW | 6.58 in (167 mm) | 38.37N 75.16W |
| Merrit Island 9.1 N | 6.54 in (166 mm) | 28.48N 80.71W |
| Trenton 6.3 SSW | 6.52 in (166 mm) | 33.65N 81.87W |
| Sylvania 0.8 W | 6.50 in (165 mm) | 32.75N 81.65W |
WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.
What forecast offices wrote
From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.
A young man drowned and five of his friends had to be rescued from dangerous rip currents in the water off Long Beach Thursday around 7 p.m. The group of six young adults went swimming in the waters off Long Beach and soon had to be rescued by nearby good Samaritans. Lifeguards and surfers in the area rushed to save the group, authorities said. They were able to pull all six people out of the water, but a 19-year-old from Queens was in cardiac arrest and later died, police said. According to authorities, the five other swimmers were treated on the scene and released. Officials said the current was strong near the jetty due to approaching Tropical Storm Fay.
Southern Nassau, New York · Rip Current · Jul 9, 23:00 UTC
Tropical Storm Fay brought tropical storm force wind gusts up to 55 mph to the lower Delaware Bay at Brandywine Shoal as it moved northeast along the New Jersey Coast.
De Bay Waters S of E Pt Nj To Slaughter Beach De, Atlantic North · Marine Tropical Storm · Jul 10, 13:00 UTC
A Mesonet site at Long Neck measured tropical storm force wind gusts. Other strong wind gusts brought down trees and branches.
Inland Sussex, Delaware · Tropical Storm · Jul 10, 13:20 UTC
Interstate 76 westbound was closed due to flooding between Spring Garden Street and Interstate 676. A vehicle was trapped in 2 to 4 feet of water on Ridge Avenue.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Flash Flood · Jul 10, 17:35 UTC
The Newark Fire Department rescued 18 people from flood waters in Newark, including 8 people in the 300 block of Wilson Avenue, 2 people from a car at Miller Avenue and New Jersey Railroad Avenue, and 8 people from their cars at the intersection of Pulaski Street and Clifford Street.
Essex, New Jersey · Flash Flood · Jul 10, 19:55 UTC
All lanes were blocked southbound due to flooding on the Bronx River Parkway between Scarsdale Road and the Sprain Brook Parkway in Cedar Knolls.
Westchester, New York · Flash Flood · Jul 10, 21:05 UTC
Strong ocean currents and waves in the wake of Storm Fay produced strong rip currents. A media report mentions a teenager was pulled under in the strong currents and was not found and presumed drowned.
Eastern Atlantic, New Jersey · Rip Current · Jul 11, 02:00 UTC
Track
| Time (UTC) | Position | Wind | Pressure | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 12:00 | 27.7N 88.8W | 20 kt | 1012 mb | Low |
| Jul 5, 18:00 | 28.1N 87.7W | 25 kt | 1010 mb | Low |
| Jul 6, 00:00 | 28.9N 86.2W | 30 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Jul 6, 06:00 | 29.9N 85.4W | 30 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Jul 6, 12:00 | 30.8N 85.0W | 20 kt | 1011 mb | Low |
| Jul 6, 18:00 | 31.5N 84.6W | 20 kt | 1013 mb | Low |
| Jul 7, 00:00 | 32.2N 84.2W | 20 kt | 1013 mb | Low |
| Jul 7, 06:00 | 32.8N 83.7W | 20 kt | 1014 mb | Low |
| Jul 7, 12:00 | 33.3N 83.2W | 20 kt | 1014 mb | Low |
| Jul 7, 18:00 | 33.3N 82.5W | 20 kt | 1014 mb | Low |
| Jul 8, 00:00 | 33.3N 81.6W | 20 kt | 1013 mb | Low |
| Jul 8, 06:00 | 33.3N 80.5W | 20 kt | 1012 mb | Low |
| Jul 8, 12:00 | 33.3N 79.2W | 20 kt | 1011 mb | Low |
| Jul 8, 18:00 | 33.7N 77.9W | 25 kt | 1010 mb | Low |
| Jul 9, 00:00 | 33.9N 77.1W | 25 kt | 1009 mb | Low |
| Jul 9, 06:00 | 34.1N 76.8W | 25 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Jul 9, 12:00 | 34.1N 76.8W | 30 kt | 1007 mb | Low |
| Jul 9, 18:00 | 35.4N 74.9W | 40 kt | 1006 mb | Tropical storm |
| Jul 10, 00:00 | 36.0N 74.8W | 40 kt | 1005 mb | Tropical storm |
| Jul 10, 06:00 | 36.8N 74.8W | 45 kt | 1004 mb | Tropical storm |
| Jul 10, 12:00 | 37.7N 74.7W | 50 kt | 998 mb | Tropical storm |
| Jul 10, 18:00 | 38.9N 74.4W | 50 kt | 998 mb | Tropical storm |
| Jul 10, 20:00 landfall | 39.4N 74.4W | 45 kt | 999 mb | Tropical storm |
| Jul 11, 00:00 | 40.2N 74.3W | 35 kt | 1000 mb | Tropical storm |
| Jul 11, 06:00 | 41.5N 74.2W | 30 kt | 1001 mb | Low |
| Jul 11, 12:00 | 43.4N 74.0W | 25 kt | 1001 mb | Low |
| Jul 11, 18:00 | 45.4N 73.8W | 20 kt | 999 mb | Low |
Other North Atlantic storms of 2020
- Tropical Storm ArthurNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm BerthaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm CristobalNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 6 deaths · $310 million
- Tropical Storm DollyNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm EdouardNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm GonzaloNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane HannaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 4 deaths · $1.1 billion
- Hurricane IsaiasNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 12 deaths · $5.0 billion
- Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm JosephineNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm KyleNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane LauraNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 47 deaths · $19 billion
- Hurricane MarcoNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm OmarNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane NanaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm ReneNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane PauletteNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths
- Hurricane SallyNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 4 deaths · $7.3 billion
- Hurricane TeddyNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $20 million
- Tropical Storm VickyNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm AlphaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm WilfredNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm BetaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · $225 million
- Hurricane GammaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 6 deaths
- Hurricane DeltaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $2.9 billion
- Hurricane EpsilonNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 1 death
- Hurricane ZetaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 5 deaths · $4.4 billion
- Hurricane EtaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 172 deaths · $1.5 billion
- Tropical Storm ThetaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane IotaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 67 deaths
What this means
A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.
Sources
Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.