The National Hurricane Center on Saturday issued a tropical storm warning for Alabama’s coast, saying tropical storm conditions are possible there by early Monday. Forecasters say a wide area will get 3 to 6 inches (8 to 18 centimeters) of rain, with 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) closer to the coast.
Ivey’s announcement says Alabama residents should be “prepared for the potential of significant flooding.”
By declaring an emergency, Ivey is directing the appropriate state agencies to exercise their authority to assist communities and entities affected by Alberto.
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5:15 p.m.
The National Hurricane Center has issued tropical storm warnings for parts of Florida and Alabama as Subtropical Storm Alberto moves north.
Forecasters at the center in Miami issued the warnings Saturday evening. They cover the northern Gulf Coast of Florida west to the Mississippi-Alabama border and the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach to the Anclote River.
The Pinar del Rio province of Cuba remains under a tropical storm warning.
Alberto is about 95 miles (155 kilometers) north of the western tip of Cuba and is moving north at 13 mph (20 kph). The storm has top sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and is expected to strengthen as it moves over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
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11:35 a.m.
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency as Subtropical Storm Alberto moves toward the state’s coast.
In a tweet Saturday, Bryant said he signed a proclamation declaring the emergency and an order making the Mississippi National Guard and other state resources available should they become necessary.
The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center shifts the storm farther east with a potential landfall near the Alabama-Florida state line.
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10:40 a.m.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for all 67 counties ahead of Subtropical Storm Alberto.
Scott made the announcement on Saturday morning.
At a briefing at the state emergency operations center in Tallahassee, authorities urged Floridians to take the storm seriously.
Wes Maul, the state’s emergency management director, said timing of the storm is uncertain, but the entire state will feel the effects. Swelling riverbanks, tornadoes and localized flooding are possible.
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A storm moving slowly through the Caribbean Sea is threatening to bring heavy rainfall, mudslides, and flash floods to parts of Mexico, Cuba, Florida and the U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend.
Subtropical Storm Alberto — the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season — was continued roiling toward parts of coastal Mexico and Cuba with rip currents and dangerous surf on Saturday. Both countries issued tropical storm watches for portions of their coastlines, with rain totals in some isolated areas of up to 25 inches.
U.S. forecasters followed suit by issuing a tropical storm watch for parts of the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle southwest of Tallahassee to the New Orleans metropolitan area.
At 5 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Alberto was moving north-northeastward toward the Yucatan Channel and was centered about 95 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. Its top sustained winds were 40 mph (65 kph). A gradual strengthening was expected through the weekend as it moves north.
