Gathering Storm on Gulf Coast Prompts Hurricane Warning
Forecasters warned Gulf Coast residents from Mississippi to Florida to brace for a minimal hurricane as Tropical Storm Alberto headed for land today.
“We put up the hurricane warning because we’re expecting it to become a hurricane overnight,” forecaster Jerry Jarrell said late Saturday at the National Hurricane Center.
The storm’s sustained winds grew from 45 m.p.h. to near 60 m.p.h. during the day. By the time Alberto reaches land, winds will likely reach hurricane strength of at least 74 m.p.h., National Hurricane Center specialist Lixion Avila said.
Hurricane warnings were issued for areas from Gulfport, Miss., to Cedar Key, Fla. Landfall was projected at midday, probably between Pensacola and Panama City in northwestern Florida, Avila said.
Officials ordered evacuations of barrier islands in the hurricane warning area, including Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key near the Florida-Alabama border. Shopkeepers reported brisk sales of water and candles in the area.
Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles urged Gulf Coast residents to monitor news broadcasts about the storm’s progress and prepare for the worst.
The storm developed last Thursday off Cuba, where it dumped 10 inches of rain. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November.
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