Flood watch in effect in Collier as Alberto sends rain bands from Gulf
Keep your umbrellas handy.
Subtropical Storm Alberto is expected to bring rainy weather to Collier County and other parts of Southwest Florida throughout Memorial Day weekend.
A flood watch is in effect through 8 p.m. Sunday in Collier, said Robert Molleda, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
“These heavy rains we are expecting this weekend could aggravate flooding conditions,” Molleda said.“Everyone needs to stay safe, drive safely and, of course, not drive through flooded road ways.”
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Four to 6 inches of rain and possibly more in isolated locations are expected through Tuesday morning along with wind speeds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts of 30 to 40 mph in some areas.
Collier County's monthly average of rain has doubled this month. For the year, the area is still 3½ inches behind schedule, although this weekend's weather could make up for the deficit, Molleda said.
Overall, the area should expect periods of heavy rain through Sunday and even Monday. Meteorologists on Saturday were starting to see an increase in the frequency of rain bands moving northwest and north across the region.
Lee County will be under a flood watch until 8 p.m. Monday. At least 3 to 5 inches of rain could fall between Saturday night and Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Alberto also brings the possibility of rough surf, mild beach erosion, tide level increase and isolated tornadoes; but a storm surge is unlikely.
“These are potentially threatening weather hazards, so people certainly need to pay attention and stay alert for any potential advisories or warnings,” Molleda said.
Roads were busy Saturday afternoon. Families flocked to Mercato in North Naples to shop indoors or see a movie. Others, despite rainy weather, visited beaches, which were nearly empty — a rare sight during a holiday weekend.
Naples resident Kim Kunkel and her husband, Craig, canceled their boating plans and spent the afternoon at Silverspot Cinema.
"Maybe next weekend," Kim Kunkel said about boating.
They said they weren't especially concerned about Alberto but plan to be extra cautious this hurricane season, which officially starts June 1. Their house had water damage last year after Hurricane Irma pummeled the region.
"It's something we're going to watch out for," she added.
The weather also rained on John and Gerri Caragliano's weekend plans.
“We’re going to the movies instead of going kayaking,” John Caragliano said.
The couple had traveled to Yellowstone National Park when Irma struck Naples last year. Even though their house survived the hurricane, they decided to take extra precautions against future storms.
“We are changing all our glass to impact glass next week,” he said.
The subtropical storm is a sprawling system, so even though the storm is a couple of hundred miles away, the rain bands well to the east of the storm's center will hit Southwest Florida.
“This is not going to be your typical nice weather weekend,” he said.
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