At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Storm Alberto was located near latitude 29.2 north, longitude 84.2 west or about 60 miles southeast of Apalachicola Florida and about 65 miles west of Cedar Key Florida.
Alberto is moving toward the northeast near 9 mph and this motion is expected to continue until landfall near midday today.
Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph with higher gusts although some potential still exists for restrengthening the likelihood that Alberto will become a hurricane prior to landfall is decreasing. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles from the center.
The latest minimum central pressure reported by the Air Force reserve hurricane hunters was 995 mb/29.38 inches.
Coastal storm surge flooding of 7 to 9 feet above normal tide levels can be expected mainly to the east and south of where the center makes landfall.
Storm total rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches with isolated maximum amounts to 10 inches are possible over portions of Florida and southern Georgia through today. Storm total amounts of 3 to 5 inches are expected over South Carolina and the coastal plains of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia through Wednesday.
Isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of central and northern Florida, southern Georgia, and southern South Carolina today.
A hurricane warning remains in effect for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Longboat Key to the Ochlocknee River. Preparations to protect life and property should have already been completed.
At 5 am EDT the tropical storm warning along the Atlantic coast has been extended northward to south Santee River South Carolina. A tropical storm warning is now in effect for the Atlantic coast from Flagler Beach Florida northward to south Santee River.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect south of Longboat Key to Englewood and west of the Ochlocknee River to Indian Pass.
With a slug of dry air overtaking the center of circulation Alberto's chances of becoming a hurricane are evaporating. There is no deep convection near the center and the cyclone is taking on a less-than-tropical appearance on satellite imagery. The wind field has also broadened considerably over the past 12 hours or so. Little change in strength is expected prior to landfall.
Model guidance is in good agreement in keeping the center over land for much of the next 36 hours. After that Alberto should accelerate in the westerlies as an extratropical cyclone. the official forecast is significantly faster than the previous advisory after 72 hours...and is in rough agreement with the dynamical model consensus.
Since the broad circulation of Alberto will decay only slowly after landfall there is some possibility of onshore winds to tropical storm force north of the present warning area on the Atlantic coast. The tropical storm warning has therefore been extended northward.
PREPARATIONS AND PREPAREDNESS:
NRCC
Region IV:
Gulf Coast Recovery Office
Florida
Georgia
Alabama:
Mississippi
Urban Search and Rescue
National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
Federal Incident Response Support Team (FIRST)
ERT-N
Department of Defense and National Guard
As of 1000 EDT June 12:
Disaster Workforce Management/Cadre Management
West: The Pacific Northwest from Washington to northern California will have scattered showers and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are forecast for eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana. Southwest Arizona could see a high temperature over 110F.
Midwest: A weak disturbance aloft will allow a few showers to develop across parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. High temperatures should range from the 60s around Lake Superior to the 90s in the central Plains.
South: Parts of northern Florida and the Florida Panhandle should see periods of heavy rain as Alberto makes landfall over the Big Bend of Florida. (see The National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ latest information on Alberto). Elsewhere, look for a few isolated thunderstorms over parts of eastern Texas and the Florida Peninsula. Temperatures will continue to be quite warm or hot with highs in the Deep South reaching the 80s and 90s. Parts of Oklahoma and Texas sill bake with highs near, or above, 100 degrees.
Northeast: The only significant weather will be a few isolated thunderstorms across parts of northern New England. (National Weather Service, Media sources)
Atlantic: No tropical storm activity.
Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea: The only significant activity is Tropical Storm Alberto as discussed above.
Pacific: No tropical storm activity. (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
National Preparedness Level is 2 (On a scale of 1 to 5)
Initial attack activity was light nationally with 95 new fires reported. Five new large fires were reported, four in Arizona and one in New Mexico. One large fire was contained in Arizona. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Utah. (National Interagency Fire Center, NWS, Storm Prediction Center, media sources)
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Tuesday, 13-Jun-2006 08:13:49 EDT