OMEN
06-12-2006, 11:27 PM
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/WEATHER/06/12/tropical.weather.ap/story.sat445.acw.jpg
Satellite image shows Tropical Storm Alberto threatening Florida at 4:45 p.m. EDT Monday.
TAMPA, Florida -- More than 20,000 people along Florida's Gulf Coast were ordered to clear out Monday as Alberto -- the very first tropical storm of the new hurricane season -- unexpectedly picked up steam and threatened to come ashore as a hurricane.
A hurricane warning for the Gulf Coast was posted, with forecasters saying the storm could hit on Tuesday morning.
Gov. Jeb Bush signed a declaration of emergency allowing him to call up the National Guard and put laws against price gouging in place.
"We're talking about powerful forces of nature," Bush said. "People need to take this very seriously."
At 2 p.m. ET, Alberto was centered about 180 miles southwest of Cedar Key and was moving northeast at about 10 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Its top sustained winds remained at 70 mph.
If Alberto came ashore as a hurricane, it would be the earliest in 40 years to hit the United States, according to the National Hurricane Center. The earliest on record is Hurricane Alma, which in 1966 hit the Florida Panhandle on June 9 -- the ninth day of the hurricane season.
The tropical depression that produced Alberto formed on Saturday, nine days after the June 1 start of the hurricane season. Forecasters over the weekend were confident it would not become a hurricane.
But the storm's winds accelerated with startling speed from 50 mph to 70 mph in just three hours Monday. The minimum wind speed for a hurricane is 74 mph.
"We were surprised, but we've been surprised before," hurricane specialist Richard Pasch said. "The center in disorganized storms can re-form and jump. We try to tell emergency management officials that storms can be stronger by one category than what we predicted."
Evacuation orders were posted for people in mobile homes or low-lying areas in at least five coastal counties stretching more than 100 miles. Those ordered evacuated included about 21,000 residents of Citrus, Levy and Taylor counties.
Alberto was expected to blow ashore anywhere from north of Tampa to the Panhandle. Forecasters said it could bring 4 to 10 inches of rain to central Florida and southeastern Georgia. Rain already was falling Monday and at least two tornados had formed, though there were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.
In Florida, homeowners stocked up on chain saws, plywood and other emergency supplies. Workers at a marina in St. Petersburg said they planned to work through the night securing more than 600 boats against the wind and waves.
"This is a little earlier that I expected," said marina manager Walter Miller. "But we've had a bad couple of years, so it's not entirely unexpected."
Dick Grier, a retiree from Homosassa, said he planned to gas up his car and bring in law chairs. But "at this point I don't think it's the kind of thing that we worry about," he said.
On Monday, Alberto drenched western Cuba after a weekend of heavy rains prompted evacuations, caused some dilapidated buildings to collapse and flooded low-lying areas in Havana. There were no reports of other major damage or injuries.
More than 12 inches of rain fell in some rural areas over the weekend, the official Prensa Latina news agency reported.
Scientists say the 2006 season could produce as many as 16 named storms, six of them major hurricanes. Last year's hurricane season was the most destructive on record and the busiest in 154 years of storm tracking, with a record 28 named storms and a record 15 hurricanes.
The first named storm of 2005, Tropical Storm Arlene, formed June 9 and came ashore just west of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.
CNN
Satellite image shows Tropical Storm Alberto threatening Florida at 4:45 p.m. EDT Monday.
TAMPA, Florida -- More than 20,000 people along Florida's Gulf Coast were ordered to clear out Monday as Alberto -- the very first tropical storm of the new hurricane season -- unexpectedly picked up steam and threatened to come ashore as a hurricane.
A hurricane warning for the Gulf Coast was posted, with forecasters saying the storm could hit on Tuesday morning.
Gov. Jeb Bush signed a declaration of emergency allowing him to call up the National Guard and put laws against price gouging in place.
"We're talking about powerful forces of nature," Bush said. "People need to take this very seriously."
At 2 p.m. ET, Alberto was centered about 180 miles southwest of Cedar Key and was moving northeast at about 10 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Its top sustained winds remained at 70 mph.
If Alberto came ashore as a hurricane, it would be the earliest in 40 years to hit the United States, according to the National Hurricane Center. The earliest on record is Hurricane Alma, which in 1966 hit the Florida Panhandle on June 9 -- the ninth day of the hurricane season.
The tropical depression that produced Alberto formed on Saturday, nine days after the June 1 start of the hurricane season. Forecasters over the weekend were confident it would not become a hurricane.
But the storm's winds accelerated with startling speed from 50 mph to 70 mph in just three hours Monday. The minimum wind speed for a hurricane is 74 mph.
"We were surprised, but we've been surprised before," hurricane specialist Richard Pasch said. "The center in disorganized storms can re-form and jump. We try to tell emergency management officials that storms can be stronger by one category than what we predicted."
Evacuation orders were posted for people in mobile homes or low-lying areas in at least five coastal counties stretching more than 100 miles. Those ordered evacuated included about 21,000 residents of Citrus, Levy and Taylor counties.
Alberto was expected to blow ashore anywhere from north of Tampa to the Panhandle. Forecasters said it could bring 4 to 10 inches of rain to central Florida and southeastern Georgia. Rain already was falling Monday and at least two tornados had formed, though there were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.
In Florida, homeowners stocked up on chain saws, plywood and other emergency supplies. Workers at a marina in St. Petersburg said they planned to work through the night securing more than 600 boats against the wind and waves.
"This is a little earlier that I expected," said marina manager Walter Miller. "But we've had a bad couple of years, so it's not entirely unexpected."
Dick Grier, a retiree from Homosassa, said he planned to gas up his car and bring in law chairs. But "at this point I don't think it's the kind of thing that we worry about," he said.
On Monday, Alberto drenched western Cuba after a weekend of heavy rains prompted evacuations, caused some dilapidated buildings to collapse and flooded low-lying areas in Havana. There were no reports of other major damage or injuries.
More than 12 inches of rain fell in some rural areas over the weekend, the official Prensa Latina news agency reported.
Scientists say the 2006 season could produce as many as 16 named storms, six of them major hurricanes. Last year's hurricane season was the most destructive on record and the busiest in 154 years of storm tracking, with a record 28 named storms and a record 15 hurricanes.
The first named storm of 2005, Tropical Storm Arlene, formed June 9 and came ashore just west of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.
CNN