000 WGUS62 KTAE 110853 FFATAE ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-120400- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 442 AM EDT SAT JUN 11 2005 ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY MORNING (1100 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING) FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL GEORGIA AND ALL OF NORTH FLORIDA... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY MORNING (1100 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING) 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 THIS MORNING. ARLENE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AND FLORIDA COUNTIES TODAY AND TONIGHT. THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT STORM TOTAL RAINFALL ON THE ORDER OF 3 TO 5 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES. THE GROUND HAS BECOME SATURATED OVER THE ENTIRE AREA OVER THE LAST 24 TO 36 HOURS...AND WITH THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL EXPECTED...FLOODING WILL DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF THE AREA. DUE TO RECENT RAINS...MOIST SOIL CONDITIONS ARE PRESENT 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 SOME 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. BE READY TO ACT IMMEDIATELY IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED. DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENING WATER LEVELS OCCUR. $$ 7-TREXLER