The first named storm of the season, Subtropical Storm Alberto, came ashore Monday along the Florida Panhandle, bringing heavy rain to a wide swath of the Southeast and claiming the lives of two journalists on duty in North Carolina.

Anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer of WYFF News 4 were killed when a tree fell on their SUV, officials and WYFF said.

The two, who worked for the NBC affiliate in Greenville, S.C., died in Polk County, just over the state line in North Carolina, shortly after interviewing fire department officials.

"We had talked a little bit about how he [McCormick] wanted us to stay safe and we wanted him to stay safe," said Geoffrey M. Tennant of the Tryon Fire Department.

About 10 minutes later, Tennant said, the department received a call of a tree falling on a motor vehicle.

The area was part of the Southeast region under a flash flood watch expected to remain in effect through Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Ground already saturated by rainfall over the past two weeks was due for additional soaking as "abundant tropical moisture arriving across the mountains and foothills will likely persist through at least mid week," the weather service said.

Alberto made a Memorial Day landfall near Laguna Beach, Fla, just west of Panama City, and officials warned of dangerous conditions even though its maximum sustained winds fell to 45 mph.

Flash flooding could take place in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas through Tuesday morning, according to forecasts.

Forecasters also warned people in those same areas and in southern South Carolina of the possibility that "brief tornadoes" could develop as Alberto moved further inland.

Panama City, Fla. – was bracing for more than 6.5 inches of rain expected through Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service's office in Tallahassee.

The storm's maximum sustained winds had reached 65 mph Sunday night — but although it lost strength, National Hurricane Center meteorologist David Zelinsky told NPR there was no reason to relax.

"The main thing we would advise people is to not pay too much attention to the maximum winds," Zelinsky said. "The rainfall threat is the main thing here. So, as Alberto moves inland and begins to weaken, don't assume the event is over. There's still a threat of heavy rains and flooding."

Shortly before 5 p.m. ET, Alberto was moving north at near 9 mph, the NHC said. It's expected to speed up a bit over the next few days, as it takes a northward to north-northwestward motion.

"On the forecast track, the center of Alberto will move over Alabama later tonight and Tuesday," the NHC said. "The system is forecast to move over the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday and into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region on Wednesday and Thursday."

Perry, Fla., has received nearly 2 inches of rain since Sunday morning, and it will get much more, the NWS said. More than an inch of rain had already fallen in both Tallahassee and Apalachicola. Warnings about storm surges and high surf were aired along the coast on either side of Apalachicola on Monday.

From the Florida Panhandle across eastern and central Alabama and into western Georgia, people can expect from 4 inches to 8 inches of rain, with isolated cases of 12 inches of rain, the NHC said.

In addition to parts of the southeastern U.S., the heavy rains and storm conditions could produce "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides" in Cuba, the NHC said.

Alberto is the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season – a season that doesn't formally begin until June 1, the National Hurricane Center says.

After Alberto reached 3.25 days as a named storm, Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach said that it is "the longest-lived Atlantic named storm forming in May since Alice in 1953."

NPR's Rachel Lushinsky and Nicole Hernandez contributed to this report.</s>Two journalists died after a tree fell on the car they were riding in while covering severe weather in Polk County, North Carolina, on Monday. WYFF news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer were covering Subtropical Storm Alberto when a tree fell on their SUV on Highway 176 as the storm made landfall Monday.

Tryon Fire Chief Geoffrey Tennant said the tree was about 3 feet in diameter and had stood back off the road.

“I think it was a matter of the tree root system had failed and the tree came down,” he said, reported Fox News.

He also said the car was in motion and the transmission was in drive when first responders reached the scene.

"It personally affected me a little bit because I had done an interview with Mr. McCormick about 10 minutes before we got the call. And we had talked a little bit about how he wanted us to stay safe and I wanted him to stay safe and of course 10 or 15 minutes later we got the call and it was him and his photographer," Tennant said and added he feels a sense of responsibility to them.

Gov. Roy Cooper said, “Two journalists working to keep the public informed about this storm have tragically lost their lives, and we mourn with their families, friends and colleagues.”

“All of us at WYFF News 4 are grieving. We are a family and we thank you, our extended family, for your comfort as we mourn and as we seek to comfort the families of Mike and Aaron,” NBC-affiliated television station WYFF News 4 wrote on its website.

McCormick joined the Spartanburg, South Carolina, newsroom of the TV station in April 2007 as a reporter while Smeltzer shot news for more than a decade for the Spartanburg bureau.

The National Hurricane Center said the Storm Alberto downgraded to a subtropical depression Monday night after making landfall near Laguna Beach, Florida, in the afternoon. It is expected to move through Alabama and then move over the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday. The storm will then head toward the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region on Wednesday and Thursday.

John Cangialosi, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, said, “Given the short period of time before Alberto makes landfall, its overall ragged appearance, and proximity to dry air, little change in strength is expected before the subtropical storm reaches the coast."

“North Carolina needs to take Alberto seriously. I urge everyone to keep a close eye on forecasts, warnings and road conditions, especially in western North Carolina where even heavier rain is predicted through tomorrow,” Cooper said, BlueridgeNow reported.

Downpours from the storm have also raised the danger of flash flooding across several southern states in coming hours and days, Weather Forecasters have warned. Polk County local government has warned residents of flash floods in the area on its Facebook page.

Apart from flash floods, Alberto will also deliver some isolated tornadoes and dangerous rip currents. A state of emergency has been declared by the governors of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.</s>Subtropical storm Alberto, the first named Atlantic storm this year, made landfall on Florida’s northwestern coast on Monday night. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the storm, which hit on the Memorial Day holiday in the US. The US National Hurricane Centre said the storm has since weakened to a subtropical depression, with winds reaching a maximum 35 mph (55 km/h) and sustained heavy rainfall. The storm is also threatening the southeast with flooding as it predicted to spread moistures across the region as the week progresses.

Journalists Mike McCormick and Aaron Smeltzer died in a freak accident today while covering weather conditions in North Carolina, in the USA, during Storm Alberto. A falling tree crushed the car the pair were travelling in down a highway while reporting on the extreme weather. The heavy rainfall is thought to have waterlogged the soil and contributed to the tree’s fall. Alberto’s winds slowed down throughout Monday as it made landfall in Laguna Beach, west of Panama City on the northern Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

The winds lowered to 40 mph by the evening, when the storm was moving north at almost 10 mph. Alberto also interrupted Memorial Day plans in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi as it moved in the southeast. The storm does not yet have the strength of a hurricane, but heavy rainfall could still cause devastate homes and put lives at risk.

After hitting the Florida coast, Alberto is expected to now head further northwest and pass over Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi before reaching Nashville, in Tennessee. Brett Anderson, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist, said: “Winds will be much lighter west of Alberto’s track, and drier air being pulled into the storm will keep these areas largely rain-free.”</s>Forecasters downgraded Alberto to a still-dangerous depression Monday evening, warning heavy rains and an accompanying flood threat would continue in the aftermath of the storm’s landfall in the Florida Panhandle.

The Memorial Day strike on the Gulf Coast by the first named storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season drove holiday beachgoers away from roiling, dangerous surf. What had sprung up from the Gulf of Mexico as a subtropical storm was now a vast, soggy system trekking inland as it flung rain — heavy at times — all around the Southeast.

Forecasters warned that heavy downpours from the weakening system could raise the potential for life-threatening flash floods in coming hours or days across north Florida, much of Alabama and large areas of Georgia — and eventually into Tennessee and the Carolinas.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the depression was centered at 11 p.m. Monday about 50 miles west-northwest of Dothan, Alabama. Its top sustained winds had dropped nearly in half to about 35 mph. What remains of Alberto was crawling northward at about 12 mph.

Subtropical Storm Alberto is approaching the Florida panhandle and is expected to make landfall sometime Monday. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph early Monday and can create dangerous waves for people not in its path.

Authorities did not immediately attribute any deaths or injuries directly to Alberto. But in North Carolina, a television news anchor and a photojournalist were killed Monday when a tree that had been uprooted from rain-soaked ground toppled on their SUV as they reported on severe weather on the fringes of the huge system.

That was hundreds of miles from Alberto’s center and more rain is on the way.

Between four and eight inches of rain could soak the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, and western Georgia before the storm moves on. Isolated deluges of 12 inches also are possible in spots as the system heads toward the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday and later this week into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region.

Earlier Monday, Alberto rolled up big waves and tides along beaches of the northern Gulf Coast. Lifeguards posted red flags along the white sands of Pensacola Beach, where swimming and wading were banned as Alberto disrupted long holiday weekend plans for millions.

The storm also forced some Memorial Day tributes to be cancelled across Florida’s Panhandle. Safety was the priority, but the decision was still a “heartbreaker,” said Tom Rice, a 29-year-old Army veteran who had helped with planning for a ceremony at Beal Memorial Cemetery in Fort Walton Beach.

Some stragglers still made their way through the rain to pay tribute at the cemetery’s Veterans Tribute Tower, however. Rice said American flags had been placed Saturday on the graves of all 1,700 veterans buried in the cemetery.

“We got the flags out,” Rice told the Northwest Florida Daily News as wind whipped a massive U.S. flag flying at half-staff. “That’s what’s important.”

Along the Florida Panhandle, tourists vowed Alberto wouldn’t dampen their fun.

Jason Powell sought to keep his children entertained with movies and TV, adding he hoped the sun would come out again after Alberto blew over. “So far we’ve seen a lot of wind and the ocean is really high, covering up the entire beach,” Powell remarked.

Janet Rhumes said her group of friends from Kansas had been planning their Memorial Day weekend on Navarre Beach since October. They stocked up on groceries and settled in for card games. “We’ve never seen one before and we’re here celebrating a friend’s 20th birthday,” Rhumes told the Daily News. “So how often can you say you rode a storm out?”

As Alberto’s weakening center heads inland it is being deprived of the warm waters that fuel tropical weather systems. As a subtropical storm, Alberto had a less defined and cooler center than a tropical storm, and its strongest winds were found farther from its center. Some of the rain bands spread hundreds of miles away from the center.

Elsewhere, the North Carolina Highway Patrol said, a large tree toppled on a news television vehicle Monday near Tryon, North Carolina.

WYFF-TV of Greenville, South Carolina, said a news anchor, Mike McCormick, and photojournalist, Aaron Smeltzer, with that station were both killed.

McCormick and Smeltzer had just interviewed Tryon Fire Chief Geoffrey Tennant as they covered storms in North Carolina.

“Ten minutes later we get the call and it was them,” Tennant said at a news conference, his voice cracking.

Tennant did not directly blame the up to 2 inches of rain that fell Monday from the fringes of Alberto for the deaths. He said the roots of a large tree that toppled on the vehicle came loose from ground saturated by a week’s worth of earlier rain.

The men died instantly, their TV vehicle’s engine still running, Tennant said.</s>(CNN) A weakened Subtropical Storm Alberto made landfall Monday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle, showering the Southeast with rain and killing at least two people.

The storm is threatening the Southeast with flooding as it is expected to spread moisture across the region into the middle of the week.

Alberto's winds continued to slow down throughout Monday, reaching maximum sustained winds of 45 mph as it made landfall in Laguna Beach, west of Panama City on the northern Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. The winds decreased to 40 mph by Monday night, when the storm was moving north at close to 10 mph.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said the two died due to storm-related conditions. "North Carolina needs to take Alberto seriously," Cooper said in a news release.</s>PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The National Hurricane Center says Subtropical Storm Alberto has come ashore on the Florida Panhandle.

The Miami-based center said in a 2 p.m. PDT advisory that Alberto’s core made landfall Monday, May 28 at Laguna Beach, Florida, about 15 miles west-northwest of Panama City.

Forecasters say heavy rainfall and flash flooding are the biggest threats posed by the storm as it heads inland over the Florida Panhandle. With maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, Alberto was moving north at 9 mph.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for a stretch of coastline between Aucilla River in Florida’s Big Bend and the Alabama-Florida border.

The storm was expected to weaken as it continued moving inland. But forecasters said it will dump heavy rain on parts of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Georgia, raising the risk of flash flooding.</s>Forecasters say center of Subtropical Storm Alberto has made landfall at Laguna Beach on Florida Panhandle

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say center of Subtropical Storm Alberto has made landfall at Laguna Beach on Florida Panhandle.</s>PANAMA CITY, Fl. (AP) — The Latest on Subtropical Storm Alberto (all times local):

The National Hurricane Center says Subtropical Storm Alberto has come ashore on the Florida Panhandle. The Miami-based center said in a 5 p.m. EDT advisory that Alberto's core made landfall Monday at Laguna Beach, Florida, about 15 miles (20 kilometers) west-northwest of Panama City.

Forecasters say heavy rainfall and flash flooding are the biggest threats posed by the storm as it heads inland over the Florida Panhandle. With maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph), Alberto was moving north at 9 mph (14 kph).

A tropical storm warning is in effect for a stretch of coastline between Aucilla River in Florida's Big Bend and the Alabama-Florida border.

The storm was expected to weaken as it continues moving inland. But forecasters said it will dump heavy rain on parts of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Georgia, raising the risk of flash flooding.

The mayor of Orange Beach, on Alabama's Gulf Coast, says Subtropical Storm Alberto is bringing rain and aggravation but isn't causing any serious problems in his community.

Mayor Tony Kennon said in a phone interview Monday afternoon that the grim forecast kept Orange Beach from having the record crowds that were anticipated. But he says a lot of people braved the weather and showed up anyway.

Kennon says red flags are flying along the beaches to caution people against going in the water and officials are patrolling to make sure people din't ignore the warnings. While he says some people are wading along the water's edge, others are taking refuge in bars and restaurants.

Subtropical Storm Alberto is moving closer to the U.S. Gulf Coast, bringing with it heavy rain and the threat of flooding.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday, in an advisory released at about 2 p.m. EDT, that the storm was centered around 30 miles (50 kilometers) south-southwest of Panama City, Florida. With maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kilometers), Alberto was moving north at 8 mph (13 kph).

A tropical storm warning is in effect for a stretch of coastline between Florida's Suwannee River and the Alabama-Florida border.

The storm was expected to weaken after it makes landfall later Monday. But forecasters said it will dump heavy rain on the Florida Panhandle, raising the risk of flash flooding and storm surges.

The center of Subtropical Storm Alberto will likely reach the northern U.S. Gulf Coast Monday afternoon or evening.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an advisory issued at 8 a.m. EDT that the storm's center was located about 100 miles (165 kilometers) south-southeast of Destin, Florida, and moving north at 6 mph (9 kph).Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 65 mph (100 kph). A tropical storm warning remains in effect for an area stretching from Florida's Suwannee River to the border of Alabama and Mississippi. A storm surge watch remains in effect for much of northern Florida, from the Suwannee to Navarre in the Panhandle. A storm surge watch means life-threatening inundations are possible from rising water moving inland from the coast. Destin and Panama City Beach are within the watch area.

Subtropical Storm Alberto has gained an early jump on the 2018 hurricane season, heading toward expected landfall sometime Monday on the northern Gulf Coast.

Though the Atlantic hurricane season doesn't officially start until Friday, Alberto has become the first named storm this year, throwing disarray into long holiday weekend plans along Florida's Gulf Coast.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 5 a.m. EDT Monday that Alberto was maintaining its strength as it approached the Florida panhandle and was centered about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of Destin. The storm that was expected to make landfall later Monday had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph).

The Hurricane Center says a tropical storm warning is in effect from the Suwannee River in Florida to the Mississippi-Alabama state line. A tropical storm warning was discontinued from Florida's Anclote River to the Suwannee River.

Subtropical Storm Alberto has gained an early jump on the 2018 hurricane season, heading toward expected landfall sometime Monday on the northern Gulf Coast.

Though the Atlantic hurricane season doesn't officially start until Friday, Alberto has become the first named storm this year, throwing disarray into long holiday weekend plans along Florida's Gulf Coast.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 2 a.m. EDT Monday that Alberto was maintaining its strength as it approached the Florida panhandle and was centered about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south-southwest of Panama City. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) as it approached the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The Hurricane Center says a tropical storm warning is in effect from the Suwannee River in Florida to the Mississippi-Alabama state line. A tropical storm warning was discontinued from Florida's Anclote River to the Suwannee River.

Subtropical Storm Alberto has gained an early jump on the 2018 hurricane season, heading toward expected landfall sometime Monday on the northern Gulf Coast.

Though the Atlantic hurricane season doesn't officially start until Friday, Alberto has become the first named storm this year, throwing disarray into long holiday weekend plans along Florida's Gulf Coast.

At 11 p.m. EDT Sunday, Alberto was centered about 205 miles (330 kilometers) west of Tampa and had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) as it approached the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says a tropical storm warning is in effect from the Suwannee River in Florida to the Mississippi-Alabama state line. A tropical storm warning was discontinued from Florida's Anclote River to the Suwannee River.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>LAGUNA BEACH, Fla. — A weakened subtropical Storm Alberto made landfall Monday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle, threatening the Southeast with flooding as it is expected to spread moisture across the region into the middle of the week.

The storm’s winds continued to slow down throughout Monday, reaching maximum sustained winds of 45 mph as it made landfall in Laguna Beach, west of Panama City on the northern Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Alberto was moving north at 9 mph.

Alberto intensified rainfall throughout the Southeast. In Polk County, North Carolina, news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer, of Greenville, South Carolina-based CNN affiliate WYFF, were killed Monday in a weather-related incident when a tree fell on their SUV as they covered a story about the rain, the station said.

Storm Alberto also disrupted Memorial Day plans in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi as it moved into the Southeast.

There was no significant damage or injury related to Alberto in Bay County, Florida, and only a few power outages, said Valerie Sale of the Office of Emergency Management.

Instagram user Melody Kay Carroll posted a video clip of wind and rain in a Panama City parking deck. “Strong squalls off and on” had kept her inside, she said.

The heaviest rain bands and strongest winds began coming ashore around 10 a.m. Monday in Panama City Beach.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the northern Gulf Coast from the Aucilla River to the Alabama-Florida border, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. ET update.

The three states likely to bear the brunt of the storm have been preparing states of emergency.

Click here to track the storm

Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued a declaration for all 67 counties in his state. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant authorized the use of the National Guard, his office said.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for 40 counties, starting at 6 a.m. Sunday. Ivey activated the state’s emergency operations center while the Alabama National Guard activated its high water evacuation teams.

The storm’s center is expected to move over Alabama on Monday night and Tuesday, the NHC said. The forecast projects the system moving over the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday and into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region on Wednesday and Thursday, the center said.

Flooding and flash flooding are possible in the Southeast, including Florida, the NHC said in its latest update.

Alberto could bring isolated storm totals up to 12 inches in areas of the Florida Panhandle into much of Alabama and western Georgia through Tuesday, the NHC said. The Florida Keys and Florida peninsula could receive up to 5 inches of rain in some areas.

“Heavy rainfall will lead to a significant risk of flash flooding across the Florida Panhandle, much of Alabama, and western Georgia through tonight, spreading northward into northern Georgia, the western Carolinas, and Tennessee on Tuesday,” the NHC said.

The National Weather Service said 2 to 6 inches of rain are expected in the rest of the Southeast and the Tennessee Valley into the lower mid-Atlantic from Tennessee east through the Carolinas.

Meanwhile, a Storm Surge Watch is in effect for the Aucilla River to Mexico Beach, Florida.

“The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the NHC said, with water potentially reaching 1 to 3 feet above ground if the peak surge occurs during high tide.

Isolated tornadoes are likely through Monday night in parts of Georgia and southeastern Alabama, the NHC said.

“Alberto will likely become a subtropical depression tonight or early Tuesday and degenerate into a remnant low by Tuesday afternoon,” the NHC said.

Authorities in New Orleans urged residents and businesses to “get prepared and stay informed” about the storm. The main threat is from heavy rain that could lead to flooding, the city said, but also high winds and storm surge could cause problems.

“I strongly encourage everyone to be safe and stay informed,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement.

Hurricane season doesn’t officially begin until June 1, but Alberto apparently missed the memo. The tropical system became a subtropical storm Friday, the National Hurricane Center said.

The early storm doesn’t necessarily mean this year’s hurricane season will be as busy as last year’s, though. The season is likely to be “near or above normal,” according to the NHC.</s>People walk on the beach as Subtropical Storm Alberto approaches in Panama City, Fla., on May 28, 2018.

Subtropical Storm Alberto’s pelting rain and brisk winds roiled the seas as it neared the U.S. Gulf Coast on Monday, keeping white sandy beaches emptied of their usual Memorial Day crowds.

Forecasters warned of life-threatening surf conditions as Alberto made landfall at Laguna Beach on the Florida Panhandle late Monday afternoon. A few brief tornadoes were possible in much of Florida and parts of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. But forecasters said flash flooding from heavy rain was the biggest threat for most areas.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 5 p.m. EDT Monday that Alberto was centered about 15 miles west-northwest of Panama City, Fla.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving north at 9 mph.

As Alberto’s center move farther inland – deprived of the warm waters that fuel tropical weather systems – the storm was expected to steadily weaken. A subtropical storm like Alberto has a less defined and cooler center than a tropical storm, and its strongest winds are found farther from its center.

Rough conditions were whipping up big waves off the eastern and northern Gulf Coast region, and officials warned swimmers to stay out of the surf through Tuesday due to life-threatening swells and rip currents. The hurricane center said a tropical storm warning was in effect from the Suwannee River in Florida to the Alabama-Florida state line.

Between four and eight inches of rain could pummel Florida Panhandle, eastern and central Alabama, and western Georgia before the storm moves on. Isolated deluges of 12 inches were possible. Several inches were also possible from Tennessee east through the Carolinas.

Lifeguards posted red flags along the white sands of Pensacola Beach, where swimming and wading were banned.

Some tourists said the rainy weather would not dampen their vacations.

Jason Powell said he was seeking to keep his children entertained until Alberto blows through his Florida Panhandle vacation spot.

“So far we’ve seen a lot of wind and the ocean is really high, covering up the entire beach,” Powell said, adding, “we’re not letting it ruin our vacation … we’re going to watch some movies inside and a little TV, and hopefully maybe even get into the pool” despite the rain.

Janet Rhumes said her group of friends from Kansas had been planning their Memorial Day weekend on Navarre Beach since October, and no tropical storm could deter them. They stocked up on groceries and planned to play card games.

“We’ve never seen one before and we’re here celebrating a friend’s 20th birthday,” Rhumes told the Northwest Florida Daily News. “So how often can you say you rode a storm out?” Rhumes said her group.

The mayor of Orange Beach, on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, said Alberto brought rain and aggravation – and dashed hopes for record crowds. Red flags flew on Alabama beaches and officers patrolled, making sure no one entered the water.

Elsewhere, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management said, about 2,600 customers were without power in northwestern Florida on Monday morning.

Scarlett Rustemeyer, a barista at the Fosko Coffee Barre in Pensacola Beach, said she always frets about power outages whenever storms come through Florida.

“My boyfriend and I usually try to go to the store and stock up on lots of bottled water, and get like canned goods and things that won’t go bad if our power goes out,” she said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a hurricane season forecast Thursday that calls for 10 to 16 named storms, with five to nine hurricanes. One to four hurricanes could be “major” with sustained winds of at least 111 mph.

If that forecast holds, it would make for a near-normal or above-normal season. An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

Kay reported from Miami. Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta contributed to this story.
Subtropical Storm Alberto, the first named Atlantic storm of 2018, makes landfall on the west coast of Florida, United States.