[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 131557
HLSTAE
FLZ008-012-014>019-026>029-034-GAZ146>148-156>161-GMZ750-755-770-
775-131900-

TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1157 AM EDT TUE JUN 13 2006

...TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO ABOUT TO MAKE LANDFALL NEAR THE FLORIDA
BIG BEND...
...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OCCURRING ACROSS APALACHEE BAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE HURRICANE WARNING IS CHANGED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR
THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM BAYPORT NORTHWARD AND WESTWARD TO
THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER. TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WILL SOON MAKE
LANDFALL NEAR TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES IN THE FLORIDA BIG BEND.

...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...
THE HURRICANE WARNING IS CHANGED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR
THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM BAYPORT NORTHWARD AND WESTWARD 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. THE HIGH SURF
ADVISORY...HOWEVER...HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR BAY AND COASTAL WALTON
COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 29.8
NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.8 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
TALLAHASSEE. THIS POSITION IS JUST OFFSHORE OF KEATON BEACH. ALBERTO
WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 9 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION
WILL MOVE IT ONSHORE NEAR TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES SHORTLY. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 50 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEAKENING
WILL OCCUR AS THE CENTER MOVES OVER LAND TODAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE CENTER...MAINLY OVER
WATER. THE LOWEST PRESSURE WAS 996 MB...OR 29.41 INCHES.

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

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
AT 1145 AM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS IN TAYLOR AND DIXIE
COUNTIES REPORTED STORM SURGES OF 4 TO 5 FEET. THE SOUTHERN HALF
OF TAYLOR COUNTY AND ALL OF DIXIE COUNTY COAST WILL LIKELY SEE
ANOTHER 2 FEET OF SURGE BETWEEN NOON AND 2PM AS WINDS TURN AND
BECOME MORE ONSHORE. WITH THE RISING ASTRONOMICAL TIDES DURING THE
AFTERNOON...SERIOUS COASTAL FLOODING WILL OCCUR IN SOME OF THESE
LOCATIONS. STORM TIDES... THE SUM OF THE SURGE AND THE NORMAL HIGH
TIDE COULD REACH 10 FEET IN SOME COASTAL LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY
DIXIE COUNTY. THE HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR AT THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER
AT 319 PM. COASTAL AREAS FURTHER WEST... ACROSS JEFFERSON...
WAKULLA AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES WILL SEE NO FURTHER STORM SURGE...IN
FACT... THEY HAD LITTLE DURING THE ENTIRE STORM.

...WINDS...
STATIONS ALONG THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA COAST AND IN APALACHEE BAY
HAVE BEEN REPORTING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. AT 11 AM EDT AT
CEDAR KEY THE SUSTAINED WINDS WERE SOUTHWEST AT 24 MPH GUSTING TO
33 MPH. AT KEATON BEACH (IN SOUTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY) THE SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE SOUTHEAST AT 26 MPH GUSTING TO 33 MPH. AT THE
APALACHICOLA BUOY...ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTH OF THE CENTER OF
ALBERTO...THE WIND WAS WEST AT 31 MPH GUSTING TO 38 MPH. THE C
TOWER IN APALACHEE BAY...JUST WEST OF THE STORM CENTER...HAD
SUSTAINED WINDS OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AT 38 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45
MPH...BUT THE WIND INSTRUMENT IS 100 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE WHERE
WIND SPEEDS CAN BE QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN THE SURFACE. AT 11 AM
EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT TALLAHASSEE
SHOWED AROUND 55 MPH 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 2 TO 4 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 IN THE
SLOW MOVING BANDS OF RAIN COMING ONSHORE OVER THE FLORIDA BIG
BEND COUNTIES OF DIXIE AND TAYLOR. MANY TROPICAL STORM RELATED
DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED WHEN MOTORISTS TRIED TO CROSS STANDING
WATER...AND EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE USED TODAY WHILE TRAVELING.

...TORNADOS...
SO FAR NO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED OVER THE FLORIDA BIG BEND
AND AS THE STORM CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHEAST OF THE AREA...THE
THREAT WILL REMAIN LOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WILL BE ISSUED BY
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 3 PM EDT.

$$

MCNATT/GOREE




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