000 WTUS82 KTAE 120539 CCA HLSTAE FLZ034-GMZ755-775-121330- TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTED FOR RAINFALL AMOUNTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 119 AM EDT MON JUN 12 2006 ...DISORGANIZED ALBERTO MOVING SLOWLY NORTH NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO... ...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM NORTH OF BONITA BEACH TO STEINHATCHEE WHICH INCLUDES DIXIE COUNTY... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF DIXIE COUNTY. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR DIXIE COUNTY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 11 PM EDT SUNDAY THE BROAD CIRCULATION OF TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.7 WEST OR ABOUT 345 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA. ALBERTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 8 MPH...AND A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 45 MPH....WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE CENTER OF ALBERTO IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL SOMEWHERE ACROSS NORTHWEST FLORIDA DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY...BUT THE WORST WEATHER WILL OCCUR WELL AHEAD OF THE ACTUAL CENTER. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... RESIDENTS ALONG THE COAST SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST ADVISORIES FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN CASE THE WATCH GETS UPGRADED TO A WARNING. THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK WOULD PLACE DIXIE COUNTY ON THE WEAKER SIDE OF THE STORM...BUT THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE PATH OF ALBERTO. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... AS OF SUNDAY NIGHT...TIDES WERE RUNNING ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE APALACHEE BAY COAST. EVEN THOUGH ALBERTO WILL LIKELY REMAIN A FAIRLY WEAK TROPICAL STORM...IT DOES NOT TAKE VERY HIGH WINDS TO CAUSE FLOODING ACROSS APALACHEE BAY DUE TO ITS SHALLOW WATER LEVELS. IN FACT...THE LATEST COMPUTER MODELS FORECAST A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET ALONG THE DIXIE COUNTY COAST LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT...WHICH WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. RESIDENTS IN THE NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT PROPERTY DAMAGE...AND KNOW WHERE TO GO SHOULD AN EVACUATION BE NEEDED. ...WIND IMPACTS... AS OF 1 AM EDT...THE WINDS WERE VERY LIGHT ACROSS DIXIE COUNTY. THEY WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE DURING THE DAY TODAY...REACHING SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH LATER TONIGHT AND DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY. A FEW WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE...WHICH CAN CAUSE LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL...AS WELL AS A FEW TREES. SPORADIC...BRIEF POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT...BUT THE OVERALL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY IS LOW. ...FLOODING IMPACTS... RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 2 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL LIKELY NOT BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. ...TORNADO IMPACTS... THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT RISK OF TORNADOES ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH FLORIDA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BEFORE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 9 AM EDT. $$ FOURNIER