000
WTUS82 KTAE 120630
HLSTAE
FLZ034-GMZ755-775-121400-

TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
230 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 2 AM EDT THE BROAD CIRCULATION OF TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS
ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.7 WEST OR ABOUT
340 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA. ALBERTO WAS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 6 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.
LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE CONFINED TO THE EASTERN SEMI CIRCLE
OF ALBERTO AND EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES FROM THE CENTER. THE
LOWEST CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 1006 MB...29.71 INCHES. 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 
TIDE 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. THE FORECAST HIGH TIDES AT THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER ENTRANCE
ARE AT 656 AM EDT MONDAY...543 PM MONDAY...AND 737 AM TUESDAY. THE
TIDES AT THE SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE ARE WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF
STEINHATCHEE.

...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 7 AM EDT.

$$

FOURNIER