Subtropical Storm Alberto: Pensacola area under tropical storm watch

Jim Little | Pensacola News Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Subtropical Storm Alberto could hamper holiday business Business owners are worried Subtropical Storm Alberto could hamper Memorial Day business.

For the latest weather updates on Saturday, follow our coverage here.

UPDATE 10:30 PM FRIDAY

A tropical storm watch and storm surge watch remain in effect for the coastal areas of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as of the 10:30 p.m. Friday advisory from the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama.

Alberto is still moving slowly over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, and is currently forecast to move northward toward the north central Gulf Coast and into coastal Mississippi or coastal Alabama by early Monday evening.

According to the National Weather Service, the system will bring copious amounts of rain to the area mainly from Saturday night into Tuesday. Storm surge and flash flooding are expected in some areas. Isolated tornadoes will also be possible, mainly Sunday night into Monday night.

ORIGINAL STORY: Subtropical Storm Alberto: Pensacola area under tropical storm watch

Subtropical Storm Alberto officially formed in the Caribbean Sea on Friday morning as the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season, and by the end of the day, the entire northern Gulf Coast was under a tropical storm watch.

Alberto was moving "erratically" east at 2 miles per hour over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, according to the 7 p.m. Friday update from the National Hurricane Center.

The National Hurricane Center issued the watch for an area from Indian Pass, Florida, westward to Grand Isle, Louisiana, on Friday afternoon. The Hurricane Center said tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area within the next 48 hours.

In addition, coastal Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are under a storm surge watch as rising water moves inland from the coastline in the next 48 hours. The storm surge watch stretches from Horseshoe Beach, Florida, westward to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The storm is forecast to bring between 6 and 12 inches of rain to Northwest Florida, and there is the possibility of 12 to 24 inches of rain in some areas, according to the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama.

Although Alberto is designated a subtropical storm, National Weather Service meteorologist Morgan Barry said the difference between a subtropical and a tropical storm is only a technical one that deals with how the storm is structured in the atmosphere. The impacts from either one are the same, she said.

"It doesn't matter whether it's called subtropical or tropical," Barry said. "When it comes into our area, it's still going to produce very heavy rainfall."

More: Subtropical Storm Alberto: What you need to know

Escambia County declared a local state of emergency "in an abundance of caution" due to Subtropical Storm Alberto. According to a county press release, the declaration was an administrative action to ensure state resources are available if needed.

Gulf Islands National Seashore officials plan to start shutting down the park Saturday, and closures are expected to last through at least Tuesday, but could be extended.

Last entry to the Fort Pickens area and the Opal Beach Cluster will be at noon Saturday, and all visitors must exit by 5 p.m. At Fort Pickens campground, mandatory evacuation will begin at noon Saturday and will all campers must leave by 5 p.m. The Perdido Key area will close at 5 p.m., and the Okaloosa area will close at noon.

County Road 399 between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach will remain open as long as it is safe for travel, but it may be closed if conditions warrant.

More: Subtropical Storm Alberto: Gulf Islands National Seashore closes more areas ahead of storm

The Pensacola area could begin to see rain from Subtropical Storm Alberto early Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Coastal areas prone to flooding will begin to see issues late Sunday or early Monday.

"We're going to start to have that heavy rain spread into that area, especially our coastal areas," Barry said. "So Sunday through Tuesday is the time frame we're expecting for the heavy rain."

Dangerous rip currents will be the biggest threat until the rain begins. High surf, with waves 5 feet or more, could begin Saturday afternoon.

Barry said Alberto would likely be on the high end of tropical storm strength when it is predicted to make landfall between Monday night and Tuesday morning, but she said that timing could change as forecasts are updated.

More: Subtropical Storm Alberto: Memorial Day observances canceled in Escambia, Santa Rosa

Barry said the Pensacola area has a 30 to 40 percent chance of seeing tropical storm force winds overnight Sunday into Monday.

The Pensacola area is also likely to see moderate to major flooding along creeks and rivers as the rain from Alberto is expected to last into Tuesday.

Alberto is expected be near the western tip of Cuba on Saturday morning, emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico during Saturday and approach the north-central Gulf Coast on Monday.