Tropical Storm Edouard downgraded to depression

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tropical Storm Edouard was downgraded to a depression late Wednesday as it made landfall near Daytona Beach, causing forecasters to cancel warnings and watches.

The storm's maximum wind speed dropped to about 35 mph, below the 39 mph threshold to be considered a tropical storm, said forecaster Richard Pasch at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

At 11 p.m., Edouard's center was about 20 miles west of Daytona Beach, moving west-southwest at 6 mph. The storm was expected to dump 2 to 4 inches of rain along its path, Pasch said.

Tropical storm warnings and watches that had been posted along nearly 200 miles of the East Coast -- from Titusville to Brunswick, Ga. -- were canceled Wednesday night, he said.

The 2002 Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

So far, none of the five named tropical storms this season have become hurricanes.

Tropical storms become hurricanes if their sustained winds hit 74 mph.

------

On the Net:

National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov