[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 131224
HLSTAE
FLZ008-012-014>019-026>029-034-GAZ146>148-156>161-GMZ750-755-770-
775-131600-

TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
824 AM EDT TUE JUN 13 2006

...TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO NEARING THE NORTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO COAST...
...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OCCURRING ACROSS APALACHEE BAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO CHANGED LITTLE SINCE 6 AM EDT... AND
CONTINUES ON ITS NORTHEAST-WARD TRACK TOWARD THE COAST.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM
LONGBOAT KEY TO THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER. THIS INCLUDES
DIXIE...TAYLOR...JEFFERSON...AND WAKULLA COUNTIES. A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO
INDIAN PASS...WHICH INCLUDES FRANKLIN COUNTY. AN INLAND TROPICAL
STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA
BIG BEND. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND
PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. A HIGH SURF
ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR BAY AND COASTAL WALTON COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM EDT TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 29.5
NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.2 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF
APALACHICOLA AND ABOUT 75 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF CEDAR KEY. ALBERTO
WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 9 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ALBERTO TO THE COAST AROUND MIDDAY TODAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 65 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
THERE IS NOW ONLY A SLIGHT POSSIBILITY THAT ALBERTO WILL BECOME A
HURRICANE PRIOR TO LANDFALL. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES FROM THE CENTER. THE LOWEST PRESSURE WAS 995
MB...OR 29.38 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE WARNED AREA. RAIN AND
GUSTY WINDS ARE CURRENTLY AFFECTING MUCH OF THE COASTAL AREAS OF
THE BIG BEND...MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT. PLEASE FOLLOW THE
INSTRUCTIONS OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
AT 8 AM EDT THE TIDE AT CEDAR KEY WAS ABOUT 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL. HOWEVER AT APALACHICOLA...WHERE THE WIND HAS BEEN BLOWING
OFFSHORE DURING THE NIGHT...THE TIDE WAS ONLY ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE
NORMAL. A STORM SURGE OF 6 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS
POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA...MAINLY EAST AND
SOUTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. IF THE CENTER MAKES
LANDFALL ACROSS TAYLOR OR DIXIE COUNTY AS EXPECTED...THE HIGHEST
SURGE WOULD NOT AFFECT JEFFERSON...WAKULLA...AND FRANKLIN
COUNTIES. HOWEVER...RESIDENTS ALONG THE COAST IN THESE COUNTIES
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT...IN CASE ALBERTO CHANGES COURSE UNEXPECTEDLY.
A HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR AT THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER AT 319 PM TODAY.
THE NEXT HIGH TIDES AT ST MARKS WILL BE AT 318 PM TODAY. THE NEXT
HIGH TIDES AT APALACHICOLA WILL OCCUR AT 846 AM AND 405 PM EDT
TODAY. AS OF 8 AM EDT THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF COASTAL FLOODING
FROM APALACHICOLA TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER.

...WINDS...
STATIONS ALONG THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA COAST AND IN APALACHEE BAY
HAVE BEEN REPORTING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. AT 8 AM EDT AT
CEDAR KEY THE SUSTAINED WINDS WERE SOUTH AT 33 MPH GUSTING TO 43 MPH.
AT KEATON BEACH (IN SOUTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY) THE SUSTAINED WINDS
WERE EAST AT 18 MPH GUSTING TO 23 MPH. AT THE APALACHICOLA
BUOY...ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTH OF THE CENTER OF ALBERTO...THE WIND
WAS WEST AT 36 MPH GUSTING TO 45 MPH. THE C TOWER IN APALACHEE
BAY...JUST WEST OF THE STORM CENTER...HAD SUSTAINED WINDS OUT OF
THE NORTHWEST AT 49 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 59 MPH...BUT THE WIND
INSTRUMENT IS 100 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE WHERE WIND SPEEDS CAN BE
QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN THE SURFACE. AT 815 AM EDT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT TALLAHASSEE SHOWED TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS WELL ABOVE THE SURFACE OVER APALACHEE BAY AND PORTIONS
OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. HEAVY RAIN BANDS NEAR THE CENTER OF
ALBERTO WILL PRODUCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50
MPH AS THEY TRANSPORT THE STRONGER WINDS ALOFT DOWN TO THE
SURFACE. SOME SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES AND DOWNED TREES HAVE BEEN
REPORTED ACROSS LEON COUNTY...AND CAUTION SHOULD BE USED WHILE
DRIVING THIS MORNING AS DOWNED TREES AND LIMBS MAY BE DIFFICULT TO
SEE WHILE IT IS DARK. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL
CONTINUE ALONG THE COAST OF APALACHEE BAY...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN CAUSE LARGE TREE BRANCHES TO
FALL...AS WELL AS A FEW TREES. UNSECURED ITEMS LIKE PATIO
FURNITURE AND TRASH CANS MAY BE BLOWN OVER OR DISPLACED.
SPORADIC...BRIEF POWER OUTAGES WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE. DRIVING LARGE
PROFILE VEHICLES CAN BE DIFFICULT IN THESE CONDITIONS.

...INLAND FLOODING...
A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PORTIONS
OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF
FLOODING DURING THE NEXT 8 HOURS OR SO. DURING THE PAST SEVERAL
HOURS THE TALLAHASSEE RADAR ESTIMATES 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS
MUCH OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...WITH ISOLATED HEAVY AMOUNTS. SO
FAR NO FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED...BUT IT REMAINS POSSIBLE IF
SLOW MOVING HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP NEAR THE
CENTER OF ALBERTO. MANY TROPICAL STORM RELATED DEATHS HAVE
OCCURRED WHEN MOTORISTS TRIED TO CROSS STANDING WATER...AND
EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE USED THIS MORNING WHILE TRAVELING TO
WORK.

...TORNADOS...
SO FAR NO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED OVER THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...BUT
THERE REMAINS A SLIGHT RISK OF TORNADOES THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WILL BE ISSUED BY
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY NOON EDT.

$$

MCNATT



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