Tropical Storm Alberto was a destructive

pre-season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

which caused $125 million in damage in the

Gulf Coast of the United States The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states th ...

in May 2018, the costliest for any pre-season tropical cyclone. The first storm of the

2018 Atlantic hurricane season The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was the third in a consecutive series of above–average and damaging Atlantic hurricane seasons dating back to 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, 2016, featuring 15 tropical cyclone naming, named storms, 8 hurri ...

, Alberto developed on May 25 near the

Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...

as a

subtropical cyclone A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and extratropical cyclones. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclone ...

. As it entered the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, Alberto intensified and transitioned into a tropical cyclone. Early on May 28, Alberto reached its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mbar (hPa; 29.23 inHg). Afterward, however, dry air caused Alberto to weaken before it made

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

near

Laguna Beach, Florida Laguna Beach is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bay County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,330 at the 2020 census, up from 3,932 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Panama City– Panama City Beach, Florida Metropolitan ...

, with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Alberto maintained a compact area of thunderstorms as it progressed through the central United States, entering southern

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

as a tropical depression on May 31. That day, Alberto weakened further and dissipated over

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. Along its path, Alberto dropped heavy rainfall, mainly to the east of its storm path. In Cuba, storm flooding killed ten people, and also damaged houses, roads and crops. Floodwaters caused an oil spill in Cienfuegos Bay. In the United States, Alberto caused about $125 million (2018

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

) in damage, as well as eight deaths. Five fatalities occurred in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, three of which were a result of landslides, and the other two from fallen trees. Flooding was responsible for the deaths of three people in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. The storm caused

coastal flooding Coastal flooding occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged (flooded) by seawater. The range of a coastal Flood, flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coas ...

along the

United States Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texa ...

, most significantly in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

where it moved ashore.

Meteorological history

On May 12, a

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...

moved eastward from Mexico and stalled over the

and the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

. By May 20, the trough had rotated into a northwest–southeast orientation, which increased

diffluence Deformation is the rate of change of shape of fluid bodies. Meteorologically, this quantity is very important in the formation of atmospheric fronts, in the explanation of cloud shapes, and in the diffusion of materials and properties.Djurić, D ...

and contributed to the formation of a broad

low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...

over the northwest Caribbean. Early on May 21, the

National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the IERS Reference Meridian, Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian ...

(NHC) first indicated the potential for the low to undergo future cyclonic development. On May 23, the low moved over the eastern

, where its development was impeded due to strong

wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...

and dry air. On May 25, the low moved back over the Caribbean Sea and developed a well-defined circulation. That day, the NHC designated the system as a

subtropical depression A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of both tropical cyclone, tropical and extratropical cyclones. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were uncertain whether they should be characterized as Tropical cyclone ...

while it was located about 80 mi (130 km) east-northeast of

Chetumal Chetumal (, , ; , ) is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the List of states of Mexico, state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo, Municipality of Othón ...

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 administrative divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into municipalities of ...

. The subtropical designation was due to the depression's interaction with an upper-level

low Low or LOW or lows, may refer to: People * Low (surname), listing people surnamed Low Places * Low, Quebec, Canada * Low, Utah, United States * Lo Wu station (MTR code LOW), Hong Kong; a rail station * Salzburg Airport (ICAO airport code: LO ...

, as well as its broad wind field, with multiple low-level circulations evident. With most of the

convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...

located east of the center, the subtropical depression remained disorganized as it moved northward. On May 26, the center redeveloped under the primary area of convection in the Gulf of Mexico, northeast of the previous weak circulation in the Caribbean. Soon after this structural improvement, the depression intensified into a subtropical storm off the northwest tip of Cuba, and was named Alberto. Operationally, the NHC considered Alberto a subtropical storm from its first advisory in the Caribbean. As Alberto moved parallel to Florida's west coast, a large band of thunderstorms persisted to the east of the storm's center, extending from Florida to Cuba. The thunderstorms concentrated near the center and became more symmetrical, a sign that the storm was transitioning into a

. Alberto became fully tropical by 00:00

UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...

on May 28 while nearing the

Florida panhandle The Florida panhandle (also known as West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a Salient (geography), salient roughly long, bordered by Alabama on the west and north, Georgia (U.S. state ...

. Around that time, the

Hurricane Hunters Hurricane hunters, typhoon hunters, or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather ...

observed

maximum sustained winds The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a certain distance from the center, known as the radius of ma ...

of 65 mph (100 km/h), which would be the storm's peak intensity. While near its maximum intensity, Alberto moved slowly around the northern side of an upper-level low, and the intrusion of drier air into the circulation caused the thunderstorms to weaken. Tropical Storm Alberto made

near

at 21:00 UTC on May 29 with sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Operationally, the NHC maintained the system as a subtropical storm, although the agency noted ambiguity with the storm's structure. Alberto quickly weakened to a tropical depression as it moved inland, although it maintained an area of thunderstorms over a well-defined center. The system maintained its structure and intensity over land due to a phenomenon known as the

brown ocean effect The brown ocean effect is an observed weather phenomenon involving some tropical cyclones after landfall. Normally, hurricanes and tropical storms lose strength when they make landfall, but when the brown ocean effect is in play, tropical cyclone ...

, in which sufficient ground moisture negates the otherwise deleterious effects that tracking inland has on a tropical cyclone. On May 30, an approaching trough turned the system northeastward, and Alberto entered southern

as a tropical depression the following day. Soon thereafter, however, the system degenerated into a remnant low pressure area. The low crossed

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

and dissipated over western

by 12:00 UTC that day.

Preparations

Upon the classification of Alberto as a subtropical storm, the

Government of Mexico The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the Mexico, United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the ...

issued a tropical storm watch for the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula from

Tulum Tulum (, ) is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea. T ...

Cabo Catoche Cabo Catoche or Cape Catoche, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, is the northernmost point on the Yucatán Peninsula. It lies in the municipality of Isla Mujeres, about north of the city of Cancún. According to the International Hydrograph ...

. The

Government of Cuba Cuba is communist and has had a socialist political system since 1961 based on the "one state, one party" principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a single-party Marxist–Leninist socialist republic with semi-presidential powers. The pre ...

also issued a tropical storm watch for the province of

Pinar del Río Pinar del Río is the capital city of Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. With a population of 191,081 (2022), it is the List of cities in Cuba, 10th-largest city in Cuba. Inhabitants of the area are called ''Pinareños''. History Pinar del Río was ...

. The tropical storm watch for the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula was discontinued at 12:00 UTC on May 26, while the tropical storm watch for Pinar del Río was replaced with a tropical storm warning three hours later. Multiple tropical storm watches and warnings were issued across the

in preparation for Alberto's arrival. The first advisories were issued at 21:00 UTC on May 25, with a tropical storm watch being issued from

Indian Pass, Florida Indian Pass is a small area on the south coast of Gulf County, Florida, 8 miles south of Port St. Joe. It promotes itself as an uncrowded haven for sports fishermen and water enthusiasts, and for dining featuring locally caught oysters. A ferry pr ...

, westward to

Grand Isle, Louisiana Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Jefferson Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the Gulf. The tow ...

, and a

storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...

watch being issued from

Horseshoe Beach, Florida Horseshoe Beach is a town in southern Dixie County, Florida, United States. The town is part of Big Bend and the Nature Coast in North Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico. The population was 165 at the 2020 census. Geography The approximate co ...

, to the

mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. At 15:00 UTC the following day, a tropical storm warning was issued for the

Dry Tortugas Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park of the United States located about west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, in the United States. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the several Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most iso ...

in the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami a ...

, and the storm surge watch on the Gulf Coast of the United States was extended eastward to

Crystal River, Florida Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,396 in the 2020 census, up from 3,108 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Homosassa Springs, Florida Citrus County, Florida, Metrop ...

. At 21:00 UTC, tropical storm warnings were issued for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach to the

Anclote River The Anclote River, running for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 near Tarpon Springs, Florida flows westward towards the Gulf of Mexico from its source of ...

, and for the northern Gulf Coast from the

Aucilla River The Aucilla River rises in Brooks County, Georgia, Brooks County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, USA, close to Thomasville, Georgia, Thomasville, and passes through the Big Bend (Florida), Big Bend region of Florida, emptying into the Gulf of M ...

westward to the Mississippi/Alabama border. All warnings were discontinued after the tropical cyclone moved ashore. A state of emergency was declared for the states of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

and

, where Alberto was expected to have the greatest impacts. In advance of Alberto, multiple evacuation orders were issued for parts of Florida. In Franklin County, a mandatory evacuation order was put in place for its barrier islands, while in nearby Taylor County, a voluntary evacuation order was issued for coastal areas. Florida governor

Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and United States Navy, Navy veteran serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of F ...

declared a state of emergency for the entirety of Florida on May 26. In the Gulf of Mexico, oil companies Exxon Mobil Corp,

Royal Dutch Shell Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company, headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New ...

and

Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation predominantly specializing in oil and gas. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened t ...

evacuated workers and shut down production platforms in Alberto's path.

Impact

Northwestern Caribbean

Alberto produced heavy rainfall along the Yucatán Peninsula, causing flooding in

Mérida, Yucatán Mérida (, ) is the capital of the List of states of Mexico, Mexican state of Yucatán, and the largest city in southeastern Mexico. The city is also the seat of the Mérida Municipality, eponymous municipality. It is located slightly inland fro ...

. During its formative stages, Alberto also dropped heavy rainfall across much of western Cuba, peaking at in Heriberto Duquezne, Villa Clara. At least of rainfall fell in

Pinar del Rio Pinar may refer to: * Pınar, Turkish feminine given name * Píñar, municipality located in the province of Granada, Spain * Pinar del Río, a city of Cuba * Pinar del Río Province The Pinar del Río Province is one of the 15 provinces of Cu ...

Artemisa Artemisa () is a municipality and city in Cuba, formerly part of La Habana Province. According to a law approved by the Cuban National Assembly in August 2010, Artemisa became the capital city of the newly formed Artemisa Province, which compri ...

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

Cienfuegos Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 178,368 in 2022. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, ...

Sancti Spíritus Sancti Spíritus () is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba and one of the oldest Cuban European settlements. Sancti Spíritus is the genitive case of Latin ''Sanctus Spiritus'' ("Holy Spirit"). ...

and

Ciego de Avila Ciego is a Spanish word meaning "blind". It may refer to: Places *Ciego de Ávila, a Cuban city, seat of the homonym province *Ciego de Ávila Province, a Cuban province *Arriete-Ciego Montero, a Cuban village in Cienfuegos Province Other

*Ci ...

provinces. The rain caused flooding and landslides across central and western Cuba, killing ten people due to drowning, and forcing at least 40,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Zaza Reservoir Zaza Reservoir () is the largest man-made reservoir in Cuba. It is located in the Sancti Spíritus Province in central Cuba, south-east of the city of Sancti-Spíritus and north-west of La Sierpe. It has a water mirror area of . and an average ...

, Cuba's largest reservoir, rose to its second-highest level on record. Storm surge and abnormally high tides caused coastal flooding on

Isla de la Juventud Isla de la Juventud (; ) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Island). The island was ...

, and from Pinar del Río to

Mayabeque Province Mayabeque Province is one of two new provinces created from the former La Habana Province, whose creation was approved by the Cuban National Assembly on August 1, 2010, the other being Artemisa Province. The new provinces came in to existence on J ...

. Alberto's flooding in Cuba forced more than 52,000 people to leave their houses. Power cuts affected nearly 60,000 people. Nationwide, the storm damaged 5,218 houses, as well as of crops. Elevated water levels in

Zapata Swamp The Zapata Swamp (, ) is a swamp area located on the Zapata Peninsula in the southern Matanzas Province of Cuba, in the municipality of Ciénaga de Zapata. It is located less than southeast of Havana. Species and preservation Within the Zapata S ...

submerged hundreds of houses, with floodwaters persisting even 18 days after the storm. Flooding damaged roads and bridges, isolating some villages and impeding transportation and relief aid. In

Taguasco Taguasco () is a municipality and town in the Sancti Spíritus Province of Cuba. Geography It is located north-east of Sancti Spiritus, the provincial capital, and is bisected by Carretera Central highway between Cabaiguán and Jatibonico. D ...

, a bridge across the

Zaza River Zaza may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Zaza'' (play), written by French playwrights Pierre Berton and Charles Simon * ''Zaza'' (1915 film), a film directed by Edwin S. Porter * ''Zaza'' (1923 film), a film directed by Allan Dwan * '' ...

was swept away, with reconstruction commencing a few weeks after the storm. Floodwaters inundated numerous streets, including Autopista A1 in Villa Clara Province, forcing authorities to close the road. At the Cienfuegos oil refinery, the water treatment pond overflowed amid storm flooding, which spilled about of oily water into Cienfuegos Bay. Despite cleanup efforts, the oil spill negatively affected the area's ecosystem. After the storm, officials provided food and building supplies to residents who sustained storm damage, and planted crops to regrow the damaged supply.

United States

Across the United States, Alberto caused about $125 million in wind and water damage, and was responsible for eight deaths. In North Carolina, landslides killed a woman in

Polk County, North Carolina Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,328. Its county seat is Columbus. History The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Henderson and Rutherford counties. It w ...

and two women near Boone when a gas leak caused an explosion. WYFF News 4 anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died while covering the storm after a tree fell onto their vehicle on U.S. Route 176. In Virginia, flooding killed two people near

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...

and one person in Madison County. Alberto dropped heavy rainfall across Florida for several days. This contributed to Florida having the wettest May on record in 2018. The highest precipitation total in the state was at Taylor Creek on the northern shore of

Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee ( ) is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the List of largest lakes of the United States by area, eighth-largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second-largest ...

. A

Flash Flood Warning A flash flood warning ( SAME code: FFW) is a severe weather warning product of the National Weather Service that is issued by national weather forecasting agencies throughout the world to alert the public that a flash flood is imminent or occurri ...

was issued for Okaloosa and Walton Counties around the time of landfall. Along the Florida panhandle, the storm produced a

at Apalachicola, which inundated nearby coastal roads, beaches, boat ramps, and parks. Floodwaters entered five buildings and a restaurant along the Florida panhandle. Winds in the state were strongest near where the storm moved ashore, with a peak gust of 59 mph (94 km/h) recorded along the

St. George Island Bridge The 4-mile (6.4–km) St. George Island Bridge (officially named the Bryant Patton Memorial Bridge and designated State Road 300 from end to end, plus approaches) was built in 2002 (completed in 2004) when the two original bridges (cut by a ...

, as well as sustained winds of 51 mph (81 km/h). The winds knocked down dozens of trees, some of which fell onto roads and power lines. In

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...

, about 9,000 people lost power during the storm. Downed trees damaged one house in Wakulla and

Holmes Holmes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Holmes (surname), a list of people and fictional characters ** Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective * Holmes (given name), a list of people * Gordon Holmes, a penname used by Louis Trac ...

counties. In Jefferson County, a tree fell onto a vehicle on

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

, which seriously injured two people. In

Port Salerno Port Salerno is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,401 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Por ...

far from the storm's landfall, Alberto's outer rainbands spawned a brief

EF0 The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated EF-Scale) is a scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage a tornado causes. It is used in the United States and France, among other countries. The EF scale is also unofficially ...

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

, which lifted a trampoline into nearby power lines. West of the storm's landfall, Alberto flooded coastal areas of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana as the storm moved ashore. High winds caused localized tree damage in southeastern Alabama. The storm's outer rainbands spawned an

tornado near Cameron, South Carolina. The tornado was on the ground for 0.3 miles (0.48 km) and had winds reaching at least 80 mph (130 km/h), strong enough to lift trees, damage crops, and cause minor structural damage. The heaviest rainfall occurred east of the storm's path. The highest rainfall in the United States was , recorded near

Helen, Georgia Helen is a city in White County, Georgia, United States, located along the Chattahoochee River. The population was 531 at the 2020 census. The city has now been made over, as a tourist attraction, to look like an old-world Bavarian village. T ...

. Farther northeast, Jonas Ridge, North Carolina recorded of rainfall. Intense precipitation in western North Carolina caused flooding along several rivers. The

Catawba River The Catawba River is a major river located in the Southeastern United States. It originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350&nbs ...

near

Pleasant Garden, North Carolina Pleasant Garden is a town in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 5,000. History Incorporated in 1997 from Fentress Township, Pleasant Garden was first settled in 1786, and known as a b ...

crested at , nearly above flood stage. Heavy rainfall triggered mudslides along the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

, and caused numerous waterways to exceed their banks. Flooding closed more than 40 roads in western North Carolina. Concern about the failure of the Lake Tahoma Dam led to the evacuation of 2,000 people until the structure was considered safe. A

flash flood emergency A flash flood warning ( SAME code: FFW) is a severe weather warning product of the National Weather Service that is issued by national weather forecasting agencies throughout the world to alert the public that a flash flood is imminent or occurri ...

was also issued in the area. Flooding also occurred in parts of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, and Virginia. Farther inland, Alberto spawned two weak tornadoes, one near

Marseilles, Illinois Marseilles ( ) is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. An Illinois River town, the population was 4,845 at the 2020 census, down from 5,094 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

, the other near

Pleasant Hill, Ohio Pleasant Hill is a village in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,241 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Pleasant Hill was originally called Newton, and under the latter n ...

. The latter tornado damaged an outbuilding. In

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, heavy rainfall from the storm, combined with previous rains earlier on in the month, set records for the month of May in several cities, including

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

References

External links

* The National Hurricane Center'
advisory archive on Subtropical Storm Alberto
* The Weather Prediction Center'
advisory archive on Subtropical Depression Alberto
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alberto (2018) 2018 Atlantic hurricane season Atlantic tropical storms Subtropical storms Off-season Atlantic tropical cyclones May 2018 in North America Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico Hurricanes in Florida Hurricanes in Alabama Hurricanes in Tennessee Hurricanes in Kentucky Hurricanes in Illinois Hurricanes in Michigan

Alberto Alberto is the Romance languages, Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic languages, Germanic ''Albert (given name), Albert''. It is used in Italian language, Italian, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, ...

Meteorological history

Preparations

Impact

Northwestern Caribbean

United States

See also

References

External links