000 WTUS82 KTAE 121707 HLSTAE FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GMZ750-755-770-775-131715- TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 107 PM EDT MON JUN 12 2006 ...TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO IS STRENGTHENING AND HEADED FOR THE NORTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO... ....NEW INFORMATION... TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO IS STRENGTHENING OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...AND MAY BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL. FOR THIS REASON...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A HURRICANE WARNING FROM LONGBOAT KEY TO OCHLOCKONEE RIVER. THE STORM SURGE JUST TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE ALBERTO MAKES LANDFALL COULD REACH 8 TO 10 FEET ALONG THE TAYLOR AND DIXIE COASTS. ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND EASTERN SECTION OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM LONGBOAT KEY TO THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER. THIS INCLUDES DIXIE... TAYLOR...JEFFERSON...WAKULLA COUNTIES. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS N EFFECT FROM WEST OF THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO INDIAN PASS... WHICH INCLUDES FRANKLIN COUNTY. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. A FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR BAY AND COASTAL WALTON COUNTIES. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 11 AM EDT TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 27.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.9 WEST OR ABOUT 190 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA. ALBERTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 7 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH....WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALBERTO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A HURRICANE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER. THE LARGE EXTENT OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS MEANS THAT THESE WINDS WILL BE FELT ALONG THE COAST WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE CENTER. 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 BIG BEND COAST SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST ADVISORIES FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK WOULD PLACE MOST OF THE BIG BEND 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 AND STORM TIDE... AS OF 11 AM EDT MONDAY...TIDES WERE RUNNING ABOUT ONE TO TWO FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE APALACHEE BAY COAST. THE LATEST STORM SURGE MODELS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FORECAST A STORM SURGE OF 8 TO 10 FEET ALONG THE TAYLOR AND DIXIE COASTS...5 TO 8 FEET ALONG WAKULLA COUNTY AND OCHLOCKONEE BAY...5 TO 7 FEET ACROSS APALACHICOLA BAY. THESE PEAK STORM SURGE HEIGHTS WILL OCCUR IN THE PRE-DAWN HOURS TUESDAY AND WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT 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 OCCURRED AT 656 AM EDT THIS MORNING. THE NEXT TWO HIGH TIDES WILL OCCUR AT 543 PM TODAY...AND 737 AM TUESDAY. THE NEXT HIGH TIDES AT ST MARKS ARE 237 PM TODAY...AND 447 AM TUESDAY. THE HIGH TIDE AT APALACHICOLA OCCURRED AT 807 AM EDT THIS MORNING. THE NEXT HIGH TIDES WILL OCCUR AT 313 PM TODAY...AND 846 AM TUESDAY. ...WINDS... AS OF 11 AM EDT...EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS WERE EAST TO NORTHEAST 7 TO 13 MPH. WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS WERE 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS WITH SEAS AT THE PANAMA CITY AND APALACHICOLA BUOYS AT 10 TO 14 FEET. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TO 50 TO 60 KNOTS OVER APALACHEE BAY LATER TONIGHT WITH SEAS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 FEET. ALONG THE COAST...WINDS AND SEAS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE DURING THE DAY TODAY...REACHING SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH LATER TONIGHT AND DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE...WHICH 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 BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. DRIVING LARGE PROFILE VEHICLES CAN BE DIFFICULT IN THESE CONDITIONS. ...INLAND FLOODING... RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE BIG BEND...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. FLOODING CAN BE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT...AND MANY TROPICAL STORM RELATED DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED WHEN MOTORISTS TRIED TO CROSS STANDING WATER. ...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS... TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO MAY BECOME A MINIMAL HURRICANE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. CONTINUE TO MONITOR LATER FORECASTS. ...TORNADO... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF TORNADOES ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH FLORIDA AND PORTIONS OF THE BIG BEND LATER TODAY 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 3 PM (MIDDAY) EDT OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. $$ BLOCK/GOREE/BARRY