TALLAHASSEE -- The rain stopped pouring Sunday but there was no rest for the Fay weary.

Rivers rose to record levels even as Fay exited the state late Saturday and was downgraded to a depression, but the cresting of the St. Marks River south of Tallahassee became another cruel reminder of the storm's relentless, weeklong grip on Florida.

The St. Marks River, an arm of the Gulf south of Tallahassee, is expected to crest its banks and reach a record high late Sunday, more than two feet above flood stage -- a surprising turn of events for a river that was nine inches below its norm a week ago.

An evacuation order was issued for residents of St. Marks and dozens of homeowners along the river's banks and the banks of the nearby Sopchoppy River, as water flooded in from basins farther north.

Those who live along the St. Marks River expected flooding but not so much water so quickly.

''The river came in unbelievably fast,'' said Sigrid Fain, an eight-year resident. ``Everytime we got something to dry land, the river would rise and things would start to float away again. People who have lived here for 30, 40 years said they've never seen it like that.''

Fain was evacuated on Saturday by the National Guard, which had to exchange Humvees for boats to rescue people as the river rose. Gov. Charlie Crist and an entourage of state officials planned to tour the area by Blackhawk helicopter and boats on Sunday.

President Bush declared Florida a major disaster area because of the storm, opening the door for federal funding for emergency work and repairs to come to in Brevard, Monroe, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.

As Fay moved north into Georgia and Alabama, it continued to dump water into the tributaries that feed Florida's rivers, Crist said, ``exacerbating the flooding we've all seen.''

Rivers and streams throughout the Panhandle are at risk for moderate flooding, said state meteorologist Ben Nelson.

A flash-flood watch was issued for Leon County, St. Marys River near the Georgia border was expected to crest within 24 hours and moderate flooding was expected on the Suwannee River basin near White Springs, the Ochlocknee River in Gadsden and Leon counties, the Shoal River in Crestview and the Blackwater River in Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.

Before he left to tour the flooding in Wakulla County, the governor made a plea for help.

''Fay has caused millions of dollars of damage and our fellow Floridians need help,'' he said.

He urged people to call or log onto the disaster fund line, which is collecting money for Fay victims: 1-800-825-3786 or www.FlaDisasterFund.org.

Fay has killed 11 people in accidental deaths, one less than the number of people killed by Hurricane Dennis in 2005. It was the first storm in recorded history to make four landfalls in the state. Estimated damage to agriculture is expected to be at least $20 million in South and Southwest Florida and the state is requesting $20 million in job assistance help.

There are a few positives to Fay, however. Department of Environmental Protection chief Mike Sole said Lake Okeechobee -- the reservoir for the Everglades and South Florida -- is about 12 ½ feet high, well above drought stage and well below flood stage.

Also, the water shed for the Apalachicola River has been swamped and temporarily relieved of drought conditions, something that should help both urban Atlanta and the fertile but threatened oyster beds all the way south in Apalachicola.

Fay's effect on the economy is a big question. Four insurance companies, Citizens, Universal, State Farm and USAA, have reported more than 7,500 homeowners' claims and another 1,600 property damage claims thus far.

As federal agencies send relief funds to Florida and insurance companies pay their claims and homeowners spend it for repairs and improvements, the cash could provide a perk to the economy, economists say.

'The greatest stimulus comes from `new money' - what economists call a helicopter drop,'' said Amy Baker, the Legislature's chief economist.

But she cautioned that people wind up spending money on nontaxable labor, as opposed to taxable goods they would have bought anyway, so storms very often aren't a plus when it comes to the state budget, which is hemorrhaging money as the economy sinks.

The state reaped nearly $1.2 billion in extra revenues but spent about $1.4 billion from the effects of 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, according to state estimates The Miami Herald obtained. The extra spending helped boost employment and flush more money into the entire state, but the $242 million hole is tough to ignore.

''The bottom line is that the state ends up spending more than we bring in,'' Baker said. 'They aren't the `economic boom' that people think they are.''

Florida's director of emergency management, Craig Fugate, added this postscript:

''Today is the anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Andrew in 1992,'' he said. ``We still have a little more hurricane season to go.''

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