 Tropical Storm Alberto has most of Florida's west coast was under a storm watch Sunday. Alberto is the first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. Alberto spun over the Gulf of Mexico, and threatened to bring heavy rain in the next few days to Florida. In the evening, Tropical Storm Alberto had maximum sustained wind near 45 mph; experts indicate that it was not likely to grow into a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center said. Alberto is a lopsided tropical storm with the most intense wind and rains massed on the eastern edge of the system, according to the National Hurricane Center. Alberto's rains began to sweep across the Florida peninsula Sunday with no major reports of damage or injury. Forecasters said 30 inches of rain could fall over the western half of Cuba, creating a threat of flash floods and mudslides in that country. Meanwhile, 5 to 10 inches of rain were possible over the Florida peninsula and 3 to 5 inches could fall over the Keys through Tuesday night. The tropical depression that produced Alberto formed Saturday, nine days after the hurricane season started. The 2005 hurricane season was the most destructive on record. The most devastating hurricane of 2005, Hurricane Katrina, blasted Louisiana and Mississippi and was blamed for more than 1,570 deaths among Louisiana residents alone. |
