Alberto roundup: What to expect and when

Owners of the 300 or so vessels moored at Biloxi’s four public harbors and marinas were notified on Friday to prepare their craft for high winds and high tides as Subtropical Storm Alberto continues to creep toward the Gulf of Mexico, and if they haven’t done so yet, now is the time to act, Port Division Manager Larry Sablich said today.

“We’ve notified everyone to check their lines, make sure they are not frayed, to have slack to accommodate the higher tides and to check their batteries,” said Sablich, who oversees operations at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor and adjoining Commercial Harbor, along with Point Cadet Marina and the Sherman Canaan Commercial Dock on Back Bay “Time is running out to make these arrangements.”

The majority of the craft, about 250, are split between the small craft harbor and Point Cadet Marina.

 

What to expect and when to expect it

Meantime, emergency managers are continuing to remind residents of what to expect and when to expect it.

The storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, is about 20 miles south of the western tip of Cuba and is moving north at 10 mph. It is expected to strengthen as it moves in the Gulf of Mexico.

Heavy rains will begin to affect the central Gulf Coast on Sunday and continue into the middle of next week as Alberto moves northward after landfall. Rainfall totals of five to 10 inches with maximum amounts of 15 inches are possible along the track of Alberto from eastern Louisiana, across much of Mississippi, Alabama, western Tennessee and the western Florida panhandle

Tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area along the northern Gulf Coast by Sunday night or early Monday.

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 water could reach two to four feet above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.

 

The watches and what they mean

Biloxi and Harrison County remain under a tropical storm watch, storm surge watch and flash flood watch.

A storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.

A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 24 hours.

A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible in the United States portion of that watch area within 48 hours.

A flash flood in a rapid and extreme flow of high water into a normally dry area, or a rapid water level rise in a low-lying area and above a predetermined flood level, beginning within six hours of the causative event.

A flash flood warning means flooding is imminent or occurring. A flash flood watch is issued when conditions are favorable for a specific hazardous weather event to occur. A flood advisory is issued when flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning.
Current position of Alberto
The latest projected path
See real-time radar
How to prepare for a storm

 

Meanwhile, life goes on: Baseball and more

The attenion to Alberto notwithstanding, a host of activities continue in Biloxi, where skies are cloudy and the current temperature at 85.5 degrees. 

Conference USA its continuing its baseball championship tournament at MGM Park. Games began today at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and at 4 p.m., top-seeded Southern Miss faces the University of Texas at San Antonio. The C-USA title game, at this writing, is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Today’s games are being televised nationally on ESPN3 and the title game will be carried across the country on the CBS Sports Network. 

More than 5,000 fans have entered the MGM Park gates since games began Wednesday.
See the C-USA baseball website
See the other events this weekend