Subtropical Storm Alberto
forms in Caribbean, heads for U.S. Gulf Coast
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The first named storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season has formed, the National Hurricane Center said.
Subtropical Storm Alberto developed Friday morning and is located about 55 miles south of Cozumel, Mexico. It has winds of 40 mph and is moving to the north-northeast at 6 mph.
"Alberto could bring tropical storm conditions and storm surge to portions of the central and eastern Gulf Coast later this weekend and early next week," the hurricane center said. Alberto is forecast to approach the north-central Gulf Coast on Monday.
The slow-moving storm will also dump heavy rain across much of the southeastern United States through Memorial Day weekend.
The storm is forecast to bring between six and 12 inches of rain to the Northwest Florida area, and there is the possibility of 12 to 24 inches of rain in some areas, the National Weather Service in Mobile, Ala., said.
The downpours could dampen Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the summer tourist season along Gulf beaches. Along with heavy rains and high winds comes rough seas and a threat of rip currents from Florida to Louisiana. Those currents can sweep swimmers out to sea
.
Julie Hilton, a hotel owner in Panama City Beach, Fla., said people are cancelling because of the weather and room reservations are down about 20 percent.
A flash flood watch has been issued for every coastal county in the Mobile office's jurisdiction — an area that includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and stretches from Northwest Florida to Mississippi — beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday and running to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
A flash flood watch means conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding.
"We cannot rule out the possibility of this system becoming a hurricane before it makes landfall sometime on Monday or Monday evening," according to AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Kottlowski.
A subtropical storm has characteristics of both a tropical and non-tropical storm. A subtropical storm has a less defined and cooler center than a tropical storm, and its strongest winds are found farther from its center.
Many times subtropical storms transform into true tropical storms or hurricanes.
Contributing: The Pensacola News Journal; The Associated Press
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- NHC_Atlantic
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