WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN #18-1: 1800 EDT – 5/26/18
SUBTROPICAL STORM ALBERTO NOW IN THE SOUTHERN GULF
TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS FOR COASTAL PORTIONS OF WCF COUNTIES. FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL WCF SECTION COUNTIES.
SITUATION: As of 1700 EDT, the center of Subtropical Storm Alberto has finally emerged into the southern Gulf of Mexico about 330 miles south-southwest of Tampa Bay. Alberto has maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and is moving towards the north at 10 miles per hour and is expected to turn slightly north-northeast and then turn again slightly to the north-northwest before making projected landfall on the Alabama or western Florida panhandle coastline sometime Monday afternoon. According to the 1700 EDT Hurricane Local Statement issued by the NWS Office in Ruskin, “Subtropical Storm Alberto is forecast to strengthen while moving northward over the Gulf of Mexico and will impact West Central and Southwest Florida tonight into Sunday night. The primary concerns at this time are storm surge flooding along the Citrus and Levy county coasts, heavy rainfall across the area causing localized flooding, and tropical storm force winds, mainly close to the coast from Tampa Bay south.”
As of 1700 EDT, the coastal portions of Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, Pasco and all of Pinellas counties, which is all the coastal counties of the ARRL West Central Florida Section, were upgraded from Tropical Storm Watches to Tropical Storm Warnings. A Flood Watch went into effect earlier this afternoon and will remain in effect until the evening of Monday May 28 for all counties in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.
IMPACTS: Impacts to the ARRL West Central Florida Section include possible tropical storm force winds from coastal Hillsborough County to Charlotte, and possible flooding due to heavy rainfall for all the counties of the ARRL West Central Florida Section.
ACTION: At this time ARRL West Central Florida ARES is going to a Level 3 activation (Stand By) in case of any activation of any of our local ARES or ACS groups along the coastal counties of the West Central Florida Section. At this time, we are not aware of any ARES activations in the West Central Florida Section or requests for assistance from any of our served agencies. However this could change tonight or during the day tomorrow. All ARES, ACS, and CERT personnel should check their equipment, supplies, and sources of emergency power for proper status and everyone should continue to monitor the latest advisories issued by the National Hurricane Center or by the National Weather Service Office in Ruskin.
The next scheduled WCF Section Special Bulletin will be issued tomorrow following the 1100 EDT National Hurricane Center advisory unless conditions warrant another bulletin prior to that time.