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STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 1 FOR TROPICAL DEPRESSION 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