Tropical Storm Alberto

NOAA image of Tropical Storm Alberto south of the Carolina coast.

Usually I visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina each May in my quest to find my little piece of heaven on earth. Last year we had two straight weeks of sunny and hot weather with no rain at all. This year it was just not in the cards to visit or I would be somewhere in Maryland right this moment. Instead I am sitting at home watching the National Hurricane Center issue its first tropical advisory for 2012. Normally the Atlantic Hurricane season does not begin until June 1, however mother nature knows nothing about that and here we have our first named storm, officially, just minutes ago. As of 5pm we have tropical storm Alberto located about 120 miles south of Cape Fear, North Carolina. The storm developed a tropical nature late this afternoon with winds of 45mph and a central pressure of 29.74". Currently the storm is drifting southwest at 3mph but a more west to northwest movement is expected over the next 24 hours and a tropical storm watch may be needed for a portion of the Carolina coast including the Outer Banks by Sunday. Already high surf advisories were in effect for the Outer Banks with a pounding surf attacking the beaches. I will monitor this storm and provide updates later this evening.

TS Alberto is forecast to pass just southwest of Cape Hatteras by Tuesday afternoon. Usually during the last two weeks of May I would be on Hatteras Island, but our plans have changed for this year.