May 27 (UPI) — Alabama, Florida and Mississippi prepare for Subtropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the season, as it moves north into the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued a state of emergency on Saturday for all 67 counties in his state.
“Remember, the track of these storms can change without notice,” Scott said. “Do not think that only areas in the cone will be impacted — everyone in our state must be prepared.”
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant authorized the use of the National Guard, and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for 40 counties to begin at 6 a.m. Sunday.
The center of the storm was located about 150 miles southwest of the Florida Keys’ Dry Tortugas and 105 miles north of the western tip of Cuba as of the National Hurricane Center’s 7 p.m. EDT update.
Alberto was moving north at 13 mph with 40-mph sustained winds.
Tropical storm warnings were in place for the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio and the Dry Tortugas. In Florida, the warnings stretched from Bonita Beach to Anclote River. A tropical storm warning also was issued from the Aucilla River to the Mississippi/Alabama border.
Forecasters said tropical storm conditions were possible for Cuba on Saturday and for the United States starting on Sunday.
The NHC predicted 10 inches to 15 inches of rain with isolated totals of 25 inches in western Cuba.
Rain chances are at 70 percent to 80 percent for portions of Florida throughout the Memorial Day weekend.
Flooding was possible in Florida’s Miami-Dade and Monroe counties after weeks of rain, with tornadoes possible Saturday and Sunday and rip currents expected on both coasts, forecasters said.
Hurricane season doesn’t formally start until June 1.
