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Tropical Storm Claudette threatens Florida Panhandle
Quote:
(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Claudette is expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle by early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center, and the storm's outer bands already were pounding the area with heavy rain Sunday evening.
Claudette appeared on track to hit somewhere between Destin, Florida, and Panama City Beach, Florida, early Monday, CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said.
Heavy rain from Claudette was hitting some of the Florida Panhandle counties Sunday, and some coastal areas there had the potential for localized flooding, said John Cherry, spokesman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
"What we're just mainly asking is residents to stay off the roads tonight, and if you do approach a flooded area on a roadway, turn around," Cherry said.
Shortly before 8 p.m. ET, the center of Claudette, with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, was in the Gulf of Mexico about 55 miles west of Apalachicola, Florida, and about 95 miles southeast of Pensacola, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving northwest at about 12 mph.
A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border east to the Suwannee River. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area in the next 24 hours.
The storm could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated amounts up to 10 inches, across portions of the Florida Panhandle, central and southern Alabama and extreme southwestern Georgia. Storm surges and isolated tornadoes also were possible across portions of North Florida.
Authorities urged voluntary evacuations in the low-lying Alligator Point area of Florida's Franklin County because of concerns about possible flooding, said Mike Stone, spokesman for the Florida Emergency Operations Center. He said he knew of no other evacuations in the state.
Mariners in the Panhandle and Big Bend areas of Florida should stay at harbor, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a statement.
Meanwhile, two other severe storms were in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. Tropical Depression Ana, which was downgraded from a tropical storm Sunday afternoon, was becoming disorganized as it approached the Northern Leeward Islands, while Tropical Storm Bill was gaining strength as it followed behind Ana. iReport.com: Are you in Claudette's path?
Ana was about 85 miles (135 kilometers) east of the island of Dominica shortly before 7 p.m. ET Sunday. It was expected to arrive at the Leeward Islands by late Sunday and enter the northeastern Caribbean Sea on Monday, the center said. It was moving east at 25 mph, and its maximum sustained winds were close to 35 mph, the center said.
Tropical storm watches were in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barthelemey.
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Ana was expected to drop generally 2 to 4 inches of rain over the Leeward Islands, with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches possible over mountainous terrain, the hurricane center said.
Tropical Storm Bill -- which could become a hurricane on Sunday night or Monday -- was in the Atlantic heading west-northwest. The storm was 1,440 miles east of the Lesser Antilles at 5 p.m. ET Sunday.
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I hope every turns out alright for them. Is anyone from Florida? If so, be safe! 
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