ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida and Mississippi launched emergency preparations Saturday ahead of the arrival of Subtropical Storm Alberto, a slow-moving system expected to cause wet misery across the eastern U.S. Gulf Coast over the holiday weekend. “Do not think that only areas in the cone will be impacted – everyone in our state must be prepared.”

The state of emergency also ensures that state and local governments have plenty of time, resources, and flexibility to get prepared for this storm. “As we continue to monitor Subtropical Storm Alberto’s northward path toward Florida, it is critically important that all Florida counties have every available resource to keep families safe and prepare for the torrential rain and severe flooding this storm will bring,” Scott said. Phil Bryant said on Twitter that he has signed an emergency proclamation to make the National Guard and other resources available. ET Saturday, parts of Cuba and the Florida Keys were under a tropical storm warning, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for parts of Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, meaning the conditions for a full storm are possible in the next 48 hours. Alberto, the first named storm of the 2018 Hurricane season, was moving north near 10 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds near 40 miles per hour (65 km/h) with higher gusts on Saturday, the NWS said. Alberto – the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season that officially starts June 1 – is expected to strengthen until it reaches the northern Gulf Coast, likely on Monday night. Subtropical storm Alberto is forecast to move northward into the Gulf Of Mexico over the weekend, with the center passing west of Cuba, the Florida Keys and mainland Florida — and setting its sights on eastern Louisiana, the Florida Panhandle and the coasts of Alabama and Mississippi.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Florida Governor Rick Scott, and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant each declare a state of emergency as Subtropical Storm Alberto, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), approaches the Southeastern United States. The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm will make landfall over the northern Gulf Coast late Monday afternoon or Monday night, with heavy rainfall and tropical storm conditions preceding actual landfall.