Gabrielle Moves On

September 14, 2001 / 12:11 PM EDT / AP

Tropical Storm Gabrielle was down-graded from a huricane Monday as it moved toward the north Atlantic with top wind of 65 mph after having dropped up to 11 inches of rain in Florida.

The worst of the storm moved well north of Bermuda, and a tropical storm warning posted for the island was lifted by late afternoon. At 11 p.m. EDT, Gabrielle was centered about 375 miles north of Bermuda. It was moving east-northeast at about 21 mph.

Gabrielle, the third hurricane of the Atlantic season, was expected to maintain that course into Tuesday.

Gabrielle's tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 230 miles, overlapping Bermuda at their outer limits.

Gabrielle soaked Florida over the weekend, providing some relief from a drought affecting most of the state. The storm cut power to more than half a million homes and businesses at its peak, with most customers restored by the end of the weekend.

Damage caused by Tropical Storm Gabrielle in Florida is expected to cost insurance companies at least $25 million, said industry group Property Claim Services.

Water damage to cars, covered by auto insurance policies, is expected to make up much of the cost from the storm, the group said. The estimate also covers wind damage, but not flood damage to homes, which is covered separately by the National Flood Insurance Program.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Felix farther out in the Atlantic weakened Monday to a tropical storm. Felix had sustained winds of 50 mph at 11 p.m. EDT.

Tropical storms have sustained winds of 39 mph or above. They become hurricanes if their top sustained winds reach 74 mph.

Felix was centered about 350 miles southwest of Lajes in the central Azores. It was heading east at 2 mph.

There still appeared to be no threat of Felix directly hitting the Azores, but the system could give the island chain some rough weather, forecasters said.