Tropical Storm Alberto slouches way into Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 13 (Reuters) Tropical Storm Alberto brought rain, some sharp winds and foot-deep floods to northwest Florida today, but US forecasters said it no longer threatened to become the first hurricane of 2006.

The storm's center was nearing land at 11 am EDT (2030 hrs IST) and was about 50 miles southeast of the Florida state capital Tallahassee and just offshore from Keaton Beach on the Gulf Coast.

But winds and rains lashed Florida well ahead of landfall, bringing an unwelcome reminder that the 2006 hurricane season had begun and that it could, like 2005, spawn monster storms like Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans.

Officials had ordered up to 21,000 residents to evacuate barrier islands, flood plains and trailer parks and the main threat from Alberto appeared to be its storm surge, an unusually high tide that flooded coastal roads and buildings.

The storm was moving northeast at a speed of nearly 9 miles per hour, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Its maximum sustained winds had slowed to 50 mph yesterday the winds had almost reaching the 74 mph threshold at which tropical storms become hurricanes. A hurricane warning in effect for parts of the Gulf Coast was lifted.

State officials said 21,000 customers had lost power and fewer than 300 people had taken refuge in emergency shelters.

The hurricane center had predicted storm surge flooding of up to 9 feet above normal tide levels and seawater sloshed into low-lying coastal communities.

''We're getting reports of flooding. They're saying it's about a foot of water over the roads by now,'' said Scott Garner, division chief for Dixie County emergency management.

The surge was compounded by the full-moon tide, and some houses and businesses were damaged, Levy County Emergency Management Director Mark Johnson said.

''I don't think it's severe. I think it's houses that are kind of used to getting water in them,'' Johnson said.

Emergency workers planned to wait until after the afternoon high tide to assess the damage, he said.

But so far, he said, ''We did quite well. No injuries, no loss of life, so far so good on the structural damage.'' DOUSING WILDFIRES Unwilling to take any chances after Katrina, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency as Alberto approached.

He appeared more relaxed today, as officials noted that Alberto was having a beneficial effect in dousing some of the 168 wildfires across the state.

''I hope all the storms that hit here this year are tropical storms and not hurricanes but I can assure you that if a stronger storm comes our way we have a great team in place,'' Bush told reporters.

Alberto's path took it too far east to disrupt offshore oil and gas platforms battered during last year's record-breaking season.

There were 28 tropical storms in 2005, of which 15 became hurricanes.

Experts have forecast another busier-than-average storm year, with up to 17 tropical storms. Alberto's formation less than two weeks after the June 1 start of the six-month season seemed to underscore the predictions.

Hurricane experts say the Atlantic has moved into a decades-long period of heightened hurricane activity, which could have serious implications for the energy and insurance industries, and also for people living on the hundreds of miles of vulnerable US coastline.

Katrina killed more than 1,300 people, caused 80 billion dollars in damage, left tens of thousands homeless and helped push oil prices to record highs. It also helped sink President George W Bush's popularity because of a fumbled emergency response.

Alberto formed on Sunday off Cuba.

REUTERS SY BD2217