000 WTUS82 KTAE 122114 HLSTAE FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GMZ750-755-770-775-132115- TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 514 PM EDT MON JUN 12 2006 ...TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO COAST... ....NEW INFORMATION... EXTENDED THE FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE A PORTION OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. UPDATED INFORMATION ON WINDS...TIDES...STORM SURGE AND STORM COORDINATES. ...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 CONTINUES IN EFFECT 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 AND A PORTION OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR BAY AND COASTAL WALTON COUNTIES. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 5 PM EDT TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 27.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.1 WEST OR ABOUT 125 MILES SOUTH OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 145 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA. ALBERTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 70 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALBERTO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A MINIMAL HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL. 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 EARLY TUESDAY...HOWEVER...CONDITIONS ARE ALREADY DETERIORATING IN THE WARNED AREA. ...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 5 PM EDT MONDAY...TIDES WERE RUNNING ABOUT TWO TO THREE FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE APALACHEE BAY COAST. THE LATEST STORM SURGE MODELS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FORECAST A STORM SURGE OF 6 TO 8 FEET ACROSS DIXIE COUNTY. STORM SURGE ALONG THE COAST OF TAYLOR COUNTY...WAKULLA COUNTY...OCHLOCKONEE BAY AND ACROSS APALACHICOLA BAY ARE FORECAST TO BE 4 TO 6 FEET. 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 WILL OCCUR AT 543 PM TODAY...AND 737 AM TUESDAY. A HIGH TIDE AT ST MARKS OCCURRED AT 237 PM TODAY. THE NEXT TWO HIGH TIDES WILL BE AT 447 AM TUESDAY AND AT 318 PM EDT TUESDAY. A HIGH TIDE AT APALACHICOLA OCCURRED AT 313 PM TODAY AND THE NEXT HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR AT 846 AM TUESDAY. ...WINDS... AS OF 5 PM EDT...WINDS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST WERE EAST TO SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 25 MPH. WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS WERE 30 TO 35 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 41 KNOTS WITH SEAS AT THE PANAMA CITY AND APALACHICOLA BUOYS AT 10 TO 14 FEET. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TO 45 TO 55 KNOTS OVER APALACHEE BAY LATER TONIGHT WITH SEAS INCREASING TO 13 TO 18 FEET. ALONG THE COAST...WINDS AND SEAS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THIS EVENING...REACHING SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH LATER TONIGHT AND DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY...MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BIG BEND. WIND GUSTS TO 50 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 TONIGHT 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 FOR ALL FLORIDA COUNTIES INCLUDING A PORTION OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA 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 BEFORE LANDFALL TUESDAY MORNING. 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 9 PM EDT OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. $$ BARRY