ZCZC NFDSCCNS5 ALL TTAA00 KNFD DDHHMM STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 1 FOR TROPICAL STORM EARL NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER...NWS...CAMP SPRINGS MD 300 PM EDT THU SEP 03 1998 HURRICANE EARL MOVED INTO THE PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA THIS MORNING NEAR PANAMA CITY AT APPROXIMATELY 2 AM EDT AND HAS MOVED STEADILY NORTHEASTWARD INTO SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA WHERE IT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES EASTNORTHEAST OF MACON...GEORGIA AT 2 PM EDT. AFTER LEAVING THE WARM WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO...WHICH WERE PROVIDING THE FUEL FOR THE STORM...EARL QUICKLY BEGAN TO LOSE STRENGTH AND WAS DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM AT 11 AM EDT AND THAN TO A LOW PRESSURE CENTER AS OF 2 PM EDT WHEN THE HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF EARL WER 30 KNOTS. WHILE THE WINDS FROM EARL DID WEAKEN AS THE STORM MOVED ASHORE...THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE FLOODING ALONG THE EASTERN GULF COAST. STORM TIDES OF AROUND 10 FEET WERE REPORTED IN APALACHEE BAY ALONG THE WAKULLA AND FRANKLIN COUNTY COASTS AND NEAR 7 FEET ALONG THE TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTY COASTLINES. AS OF THURSDAY MORNING...FLOODING WAS ONGOING IN THESE AREAS DUE TO THE STRONG ONSHORE WINDS. ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES ALONG THE BIG BEND COAST OCCURRED AT ABOUT NOON INCREASING THE FLOODING. FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED TO THE EAST ALONG THE NORTHWEST COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA WITH THE STORM SURGE RANGING FROM A MAXIMUM OF 6 TO 7 FEET FROM THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO CRYSTAL RIVER TO A MINIMUM OF 2 TO 3 FEET ALONG THE MANATEE AND SARASOTA COUNTY COASTLINES. TO THE WEST OF WHERE EARL MADE LANDFALL THE STORM SURGE WAS MUCH LOWER WITH ONLY DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND HIGH SURF CONDITIONS. AS OF THURSDAY MORNING...MANY AREA ROADS AND HIGHWAYS WERE STILL UNDERWATER OVER MUCH OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA. NUMEROUS TORNADOS WERE SPAWNED OVER NORTHWESTERN AND NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA LAST NIGHT BEFORE EARL MOVED INLAND WITH TORNADO WARNINGS ALSO ISSUED OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA OVERNIGHT. NUMEROUS TORNADO WARNINGS HAVE ALSO BEEN ISSUED THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA AND EASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA. IN ADDITION TO WIDESPREAD COASTAL FLOODING...EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS ACCOMPANIED "EARL" AS IT MOVED INLAND WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS MEASURED OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. SOME 24 HOUR AMOUNTS ENDING AT 8 AM EDT (ALL IN INCHES) INCLUDED: FLORIDA.....6.59 AT PANAMA CITY, 6.00 AT VALPARAISO, 5.98 AT MARIANA, 5.32 AT TALLAHASSEE, 4.30 AT PERRY GEORGIA.....2.60 AT VALDOSTA, 2.19 AT MACON, 2.04 AT ALMA THE REMNANTS OF EARL ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST THOUGH THERE IS CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY IN ITS TRACK. LATEST FORECASTS TAKE THE SYSTEM THROUGH GEORGIA...THE CAROLINAS.. AND INTO THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA BEFORE IT MOVES BACK OUT TO SEA WHERE COULD STRENGTHEN AGAIN OVER THE WARM WATERS. HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND TO THE RIGHT OF ITS TRACK... THOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE SOME LIGHTER RAINS COULD OCCUR TO THE LEFT OF THE TRACK AND EVEN UP INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES OR EVEN COASTAL NEW ENGLAND. HEAVY RAINS OVER EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA RESULTED IN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING BEING ISSUED NEAR AUGUSTA WITH AN OBSERVED REPORT OF OVER 8 INCHES OF RAIN. DUE TO MORE ANTICIPATED HEAVY RAINS....FLASH FLOOD WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR MANY COUNTIES OVER...SOUTHERN ALABAMA... SOUTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. EVEN THOUGH THE REMNANTS OF "EARL" CONTINUE TO WEAKEN...THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF YOU LIVE OR WORK IN ANY AREAS EFFECTED BY THIS STORM...SAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. ROBSON/FORECAST OPERATIONS BRANCH NNNN