The landfall record-breaking tropical storm Fay turned into a tropical depression Saturday as it lost some of its strength while advancing westward across the Gulf Coast at about 8 mph.

However, despite the fact that the winds dropped to a maximum of 35 mp, the rain keeps pouring and the cities and towns from Pensacola, Fla., to New Orleans are preparing to face the tempest.

Although many gave a sigh of relief when finding out that Fay won’t become a hurricane, the tempest killed 11 people in Florida and one in Georgia proving that a tropical storm can be just as deadly when moving at a slow pace. The heavy rains flooded thousands of homes and businesses so far.

Fay’s center made its fourth landfall early Sunday north-northeast of Apalachicola, the National Weather Center said. The heavy rains and powerful winds knocked down trees and power lines. About 12,000 people were left without electricity, according to officials in Tallahassee, Florida.

In Georgia, the only victim of the storm was a boy. He reportedly drowned on Saturday while engulfed by water in a drainage ditch where he was playing. 

Weather experts said the storm will very probably move over southern Alabama and Mississippi on Sunday. The local Coast Guard already closed several ports and waterways over a stretch from Panama City to the Alabama coast.