&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Alberto_2018-05-27_1625Z.jpg) Alberto as a subtropical storm approaching the Florida Panhandle on May 27 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 25, 2018 |
| Remnant low | May 31, 2018 |
| Dissipated | June 1, 2018 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 65 mph (100 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 990 mbar (hPa); 29.23 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 18 total |
| Damage | $125 million (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Yucatán Peninsula, Cuba, Eastern United States, Canada |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Alberto was a destructive pre-season tropical cyclone which caused $125 million in damage in the Gulf Coast of the United States in May 2018, the costliest for any pre-season tropical cyclone. The first storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Alberto developed on May 25 near the Yucatán Peninsula as a subtropical cyclone. As it entered the Gulf of Mexico, Alberto intensified and transitioned into a tropical cyclone. Early on May 28, Alberto reached its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 990 mbar (hPa; 29.23 inHg). Afterward, however, dry air caused Alberto to weaken before it made landfall near Laguna Beach, Florida, with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Alberto maintained a compact area of thunderstorms as it progressed through the central United States, entering southern Michigan as a tropical depression on May 31. That day, Alberto weakened further and dissipated over Ontario.
Along its path, Alberto dropped heavy rainfall, mainly to the east of its storm path. In Cuba, storm flooding killed ten people, and also damaged houses, roads and crops. Floodwaters caused an oil spill in Cienfuegos Bay. In the United States, Alberto caused about $125 million (2018 USD) in damage, as well as eight deaths. Five fatalities occurred in North Carolina, three of which were a result of landslides, and the other two from fallen trees. Flooding was responsible for the deaths of three people in Virginia. The storm caused coastal flooding along the United States Gulf Coast, most significantly in Florida where it moved ashore.