PENSACOLA BEACH — Claudette was close to coming ashore along the Panhandle early this morning, with the first tropical storm expected to strike the U.S. mainland this year already dumping heavy rain in some areas.
Claudette had winds of at least 50 mph, but was not expected to cause significant flooding or wind damage. Lurking more ominously was Tropical Storm Bill, which was expected to turn into a hurricane today as it moves over warm waters in the open Atlantic.
Condominiums on Pensacola Beach warned residents to bring balcony furniture indoors with winds from Claudette anticipated to strengthen. Earlier Sunday, a trickle of cars and SUVs with surfboards on top headed east along the Panhandle as surfers were catching waves whipped up by Claudette.
On Pensacola Beach, the National Park Service closed low-lying roads that connect the restaurants and hotels to the undeveloped National Seashore and historic Fort Pickens Fort. The Park Service said campers would be ordered to leave the area because of the likelihood of the road flooding.
Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches was expected, with isolated areas getting up to 10 inches along the Panhandle, the Big Bend region, central and southern Alabama and southwestern Georgia, forecasters said.
“We may see some heavy rains as a result, but we don’t expect any high winds or coastal flooding,” said John Dosh, manager of Emergency Management. “This event is a good example of how quickly a tropical storm can develop. We won’t always have a lot of warning. This is why citizens need to be prepared throughout hurricane season.”
In Panama City, the Bay County Emergency Operations Center opened a shelter at a local high school for residents of low-lying areas and people with special needs.
A tropical storm warning covered most of the Panhandle, from the Alabama state line to the Suwanee River more than 300 miles to the east. The storm tide was expected to produce maximum water levels of 3 to 5 feet along portions of the Panhandle.
Pensacola Beach is still recovering from Hurricane Ivan, which devastated the western Panhandle in 2004.
At 11 p.m., Claudette was about 25 miles west of Panama City and moving northwest near 12 mph. Its center was expected to move onshore early today and then into southern Alabama.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Bill, was intensifying far from land in the open Atlantic, and it could become a hurricane early today. It had sustained winds of 70 mph. Category 1 hurricanes have winds between 74 and 95 mph.
Winds from what used to be Tropical Storm Ana diminished to 35 mph. It was expected to make landfall as a depression at the Leeward Islands early today.
Watches were posted for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Antigua, St. Maarten and several other islands in the area. Ana was forecast to bring 2 to 4 inches of rain.
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