As of the 11:00am advisory Florence has become a category one hurricane with rapid strengthening anticipated over the next 36 hours.  The forecast track is still uncertain; however, residents of South and North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic region should pay close attention. There is a reasonable possibility Florence could be a multi-day event for the east coast – hovering for several days next weekend – SEE HERE (hit play)
Coastal residents of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic should pay close attention; and begin carrying out the beginning of a proactive hurricane plan.  Florence will likely approach the coast sometime on Thursday; residents have four full days for preparation. This specific storm has the signature forecast for of a major multi-day power outage.

[National Hurricane Center] At 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Florence was located by a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 24.4 North, longitude 56.3 West. Florence is moving toward the west near 6 mph (9 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today. A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected by Monday, and that motion is forecast to continue through mid-week.
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Tropical storm Florence is highly expected to grow to hurricane strength over the next few days.  Coastal residents from Florida north throughout the southeast should be paying attention.  Look at your schedule for next week and consider what may need to be adjusted based on the future forecasts and paths.  Begin taking pro-active steps.

Being proactive is empowering.  Check your schedule for next week.  Update your contact list and tell your family and friends of your plan.  Have a point of central contact.  If you are able, call on neighbors, check-in and see if they are paying attention.  Evaluate your personal hurricane and storm supplies; update and replace anything you might have used. Assess, modify and/or update any possible evacuation plans based on your location, and/or any changes to your family status.
Check your shutters and window coverings; test your generator; re-organize and familiarize yourself with all of your supplies and hardware. Check batteries in portable tools; locate tools you might need; walk your property to consider what you may need to do based on the storms path.  All decisions are yours. You are in control.
Due to coastal populations, a southeast storm means adding almost a day to any movement plans based on roads and traffic density.  Being proactive now helps to keep any future stress level low.  You are in control. If you have pets, additional plans may be needed.
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Gordon is anticipated to strike the Mississippi coast as a category one hurricane. Current wind-speeds are 65mph, with strengthening anticipated.
[National Hurricane Center] At 100 PM CDT (1800 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Gordon was located near latitude 28.9 North, longitude 87.3 West. Gordon is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph (24 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue until landfall occurs tonight along the north-central Gulf coast. A northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected after landfall, with a gradual turn toward the north-northwest and north forecast to occur on Friday.

On the forecast track, the center of Gordon will move across the northern Gulf of Mexico today, and will approach the north-central Gulf Coast within the hurricane warning area late this afternoon or evening, and move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley tonight and early Wednesday.
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Louisiana Governor declares state of emergency. Coastal Mississippi and Alabama should be on alert and prepared to finalize storm preparations by noon Tuesday.
[National Hurricane Center] At 1100 PM EDT (0300 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Gordon was located near latitude 26.9 North, longitude 84.3 West. Gordon is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph (28 km/h). A west-northwestward to northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next few days.

On the forecast track, the center of Gordon will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Tuesday, and will approach the north-central Gulf Coast within the warning area late Tuesday afternoon or evening, and move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.
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Tropical Storm Gordon is anticipated to move into the warm Gulf of Mexico this afternoon and then strengthen while taking a West-northwest path toward the Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana coast.  High probability will make landfall as a hurricane.
This storm will move fast while simultaneously strengthening. Residents in coastal west-FL Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana would be well advised to be proactive, watch closely and begin initial hurricane preparation.

[Hurricane Advisory] At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Gordon was located near latitude 25.8 North, longitude 81.9 West. Gordon is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h) and a west-northwestward to northwestward motion is expected over the next 72 hours. On the forecast track, the center of Gordon will move farther away from the southwestern coast of Florida this afternoon and move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Tuesday.
The center of Gordon will approach the coast within the warning area along the central Gulf Coast by late Tuesday or Tuesday night, and move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.
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As the hurricane season officially starts, President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and the majority of the Cabinet attend the critically important 2018 FEMA briefing.

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REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AT 2018 HURRICANE BRIEFING – FEMA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., 2:06 P.M. EDT [Transcript Link]

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I want to thank you. Great job, Brock. Really fantastic. Thank you very much. And we really appreciate the job you’ve done. It’s been amazing, and you really have kept quite busy, I would say, unfortunately. We had no choice. We were hit hard. But you’ve done a fantastic job. So I want to thank you very much.

ADMINISTRATOR LONG: Thank you.

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In the last several hours Tropical Storm Alberto has quickly gained strength.  Forecast track puts the storm coming ashore on the Florida Panhandle early tomorrow morning, Memorial Day. The Florida panhandle into much of Alabama and western Georgia can expect 4 to 8 inches of rainfall, with isolated locations receiving as much as 12 inches. (NHC Advisory)

The Tennessee and Ohio Valley areas should pay close attention.

At 7:30 PM CDT (0030 UTC), the center of Subtropical Storm Alberto was located near latitude 28.4 North, longitude 85.7 West. The storm is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h). A northwest to north-northwest motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected overnight. A north-northwestward to northward motion is expected Monday through Wednesday.

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Nearly a week after the California wildfires began, the zone containing scattered fires has swollen to an area as wide as 100 miles. The flames have left at least 38 people dead and destroyed at least 5,700 homes and businesses, making them the deadliest and most destructive group of wildfires California has ever seen.

(Via ABC)  Rising winds fanned the California wildfires again Saturday, forcing hundreds more people to flee from their homes in the state’s fabled wine country and threatening to undo the efforts of crews who have spent days trying to corral the flames behind firebreaks.
Just a day after firefighters reported making significant progress, the winds kicked up and pushed flames into the hills at the edge of Sonoma, a town of 11,000. About 400 homes were evacuated in Sonoma and a portion of Santa Rosa that included a retirement community that evacuated earlier this week, authorities said.
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The storm surge in/around Biloxi Mississippi is rapidly increasing as fast moving Hurricane Nate comes ashore on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Overnight storm livestream from RSBN below:

At 1000 PM CDT (0300 UTC), the center of Hurricane Nate was located by an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft and NOAA Doppler radar just offshore of the Mississippi coast near latitude 29.9 North, longitude 89.1 West. Nate is moving toward the north near 20 mph (31 km/h). A turn toward the north-northeast and northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.
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The time has passed for any coastal storm preparation.  Weather conditions will diminish rapidly over the next several hours.  Those in the immediate path should now be sheltering in place, stay inside, listen to local officials and prepare to remain in ‘hunker down mode’ for the next 12 hours.
At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the center of Hurricane Nate was located near latitude 28.4 North, longitude 89.1 West. Nate is moving toward the north-northwest near 23 mph (37 km/h). A turn toward the north and a slight decrease in forward speed are expected during the next several hours, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast later tonight. A motion toward the northeast is expected on Sunday.

On the forecast track, the center of Nate will pass near or over the mouth of the Mississippi River during the next few hours, then make landfall along the coasts of southeastern Louisiana or Mississippi tonight. After landfall, the center of Nate is expected to pass over portions of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee late tonight through Sunday night.
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