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Alberto termedKPAtropical depressionVMIAMI lAP) — Seasoned islanders who sal tight as tourists evacuated the stormy Florida Keys enjoyed sunnv skies and nearly‘empty beaches' after Hurricane Alberto weakened lo a tropical depression in less than 24 hours.The storm lost its punch Friday before brushing the southwest Florida coast, hut was blamed for 23 deaths and heavy tobacco crop damage in Cuba.Havana radio stations, calling Alberto the worst storm to hit Cuba in years, reported that areas of western Cuba's Pinar del Rio province continued to, be hooded from the storm waters.On Fridav. Alberto lingered as a few dark clouds far out over the glimmering Gulf of Mexico and the Keys were under sunny skies and unusuallv free of tourists.At a.m. today, the depression was stalled in the Gulf of MexicoFREE FISHING DAY PENN RUN — Sunday. June 6 is Free Fishi ng Day at Penn Run -Activities begin at 1 p.m. and last until 4 p.m.. Ah children up to age 15 can fish for free, with prizes going to the biggest . catches for each age division.3F THIS NEWSPAPER'S SCHOOL PROGRAMabout 190 miles southwest of Fort Myers. Its winds weakened from 80 mph to 35 mph Thursday and to 30 mph overnight Friday. More weakening was expected due to cool water and prevailing westerly winds.When a hurricane watch was posted Thursday. “It looked like a Chinese fire drill going out of here,” said David “Bear Weekley, a bartender on Captiva Island.“Most of the ones who were leaving were tourists. All they have to hear is the word ’hurricane’ and thev’reout of here,” he said.Islanders were encouraged to evacuate Thursday when forecasters first realized Alberto was building to hurricane strength.“It just shows you the unpredictability of these things, said forecast: er Bob Case of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. “We saw it coming, but we didn't really expect the storm to develop into hurricane strength.Florida officials complained that forecasters gave them only IB hours warning that Alberto' would strike. They said they need at least 27 hours to evacuate areas lying in a hurricane's projected path.Despite tracking Alberto by satellite, reconnaissance aircraft and ra-■ dar during the storm’s six-day gestation period, forecasters were taken aback by the “awesome quickness with which it swelled’ into a hurricane.“You can never be too sure about the mysteries of nature, said Dr. Neil Frank, hurricane center director.o.Cuban authorities, in radio reports monitored from Miami, said wind and heavy rains in Alberto’s wake caused at least 14 drownings and widespread flooding in the tobacco-rich Pinar del Rio region on Friday. A Havana man also was electrocuted during the storm, a Havana Radio report said.An estimated 50,000 people were evacuated and six people were missing, said the Cuban report. Government officials said 8,557 homes were reported damaged — 71 of them destroyed — in Pinar del Rio. Another. 188 homes in Havana suffered storm damage, said the broadcast.
Newspaper Details
Indiana Gazette
Indiana, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Jun 05, 1982
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
George C.
FL, USA 06 Aug 2024
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