000 WGUS62 KTAE 100847 FFATAE ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-112000- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 425 AM EDT FRI JUN 10 2005 ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EDT (300 PM CDT) SATURDAY AFTERNOON... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES. IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... COFFEE...DALE...GENEVA...HENRY AND HOUSTON. IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA... BAKER...BEN HILL...BERRIEN...BROOKS...CALHOUN...CLAY...COLQUITT... COOK...DECATUR...DOUGHERTY...EARLY...GRADY...IRWIN...LANIER...LEE... LOWNDES...MILLER...MITCHELL...QUITMAN...RANDOLPH...SEMINOLE... TERRELL...THOMAS...TIFT...TURNER AND WORTH. IN NORTH FLORIDA... BAY...CALHOUN...DIXIE...FRANKLIN...GADSDEN...GULF...HOLMES... JACKSON...JEFFERSON...LAFAYETTE...LEON...LIBERTY...MADISON... TAYLOR...WAKULLA...WALTON AND WASHINGTON. TROPICAL STORM ARLENE IS PROJECTED TO MOVE ON A NORTHWARD TRACK MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO COASTLINE. ARLENE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AND FLORIDA COUNTIES BEGINNING TODAY. THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT STORM TOTAL RAINFALL ON THE ORDER OF 3 TO 5 INCHES THROUGH SATURDAY. THREE TO FOUR INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS ACCUMULATED THE PAST TWO WEEKS OVER THE ENTIRE AREA...RESULTING IN MOIST SOIL CONDITIONS AND RIVERS ARE RUNNING WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE APALACHICOLA...CHIPOLA...OCHLOCKONEE..ST MARKS AND WITHLACOOCHEE RIVERS ARE ALL RUNNING SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE BANKFULL LEVELS WHILE THE AUCILLA RIVER IS JUST ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. FORTUNATELY THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER...THOUGH RUNNING ABOVE NORMAL...STILL HAS PLENTY OF STORAGE ROOM IN THE HEADWATERS ABOVE WEST POINT. POOL ELEVATIONS BELOW WEST POINT INCLUDING GEORGE LOCK AND DAM AND WOODRUFF DAM ARE RUNNING NEAR NORMAL. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...CREEKS...AND OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER AND BE PREPARED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING OCCUR OR A FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED. $$ 10-BOLINSKI