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'Probably a good first run'

The season's first storm lightly affects the area, bringing more out to tour its impact than take shelter.

By APRIL YEE and JONATHAN ABEL
Published June 14, 2006

	[Times photo: Keri Wiginton]
	Kevin Burke leads his dog Face down his flooded street in Weeki Wachee as high tide approaches Tuesday after Alberto made its way up Florida's west coast. "He's out swimming," said Burke, who has lived in Weeki Wachee for six years. Rising water cut off many residential roads along the coast, public works said.

HERNANDO BEACH - Tropical Storm Alberto passed over Hernando on Tuesday, bringing a 2-foot storm surge and pushing five people into an emergency shelter.

But for everyone who sought shelter, there were more who came out to look at the damage. Or lack thereof.

Twenty-one-year-old Iris Garcia was one of them. She sat on a bar stool at Mary's Fish Camp as the water rose around her.

"We wanted to see the storm surge," she said, holding baby Maribel with her arm. "Just curious."

The storm dropped 2.5 inches of rain on Hernando County on Monday and Tuesday with gusts reaching as much as 41 mph, said Colleen Rhea, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Hernando Emergency Management director Tom Leto went out to Hernando Beach with future hurricanes in mind.

"This is probably a good first run," Leto said, with Commission Chairwoman Diane Rowden by his side as they approached the Bayport barricade. "Let's hope this is as bad as they get."

Across the county, the impact of the storm was relatively light, with scattered power outages and some fallen trees.

On the coast, however, the rising water cut off the majority of residential roads, said Steve Whitaker, assistant director of the department of public works. About 4,000 customers lost power.

But by 3:15 p.m., the waters had started to recede. The flooded roads - Pine Island Drive, Bayou Drive, County Road 550 and others - were supposed to be cleared by Tuesday night, though emergency management officials warned that Shine Lane and Indian Bay might not be open until today.

The storm was inconvenient, but it could have been worse. It should have been worse.

People on Hernando Beach were surprised by the sunny skies Tuesday.

"It didn't come as high as expected," said Phillip Jones, a technician for the Hernando County Waterways Division. He watched as the high tide brought waves to the top of the sea wall on Hernando Beach about 2:40 p.m.

"We even had a few Jet Skiers go out earlier, around lunchtime," Jones said. "Surprised me, too. I guess they wanted to take advantage of the rough water."

"It's a thunderstorm with a little bit of wind," said Adrian Kilby, 56, of Bayport. He had just finished taking in one of his boats. "Seriously, this is nothing."

Fran Degaust, 56, brought her grandchildren to Rogers Park in Hernando Beach all the way from her home on Mariner Boulevard.

"We were in the house and I said, 'Let's come out, we'll go see some big waves,' " said Degaust. "Instead we saw some flooding."

The strip of sand on Hernando Beach - normally the domain of sunbathers - was mushy and nearly covered with water. Isabella, 4, buried her face in Degaust's stomach, trying to avoid the windblown, pricking sand.

Hernando Beach shrimpers had planned to wait out Alberto in their boats, as they normally do, but went home after the 11 p.m. news because the storm didn't look like a threat.

It did, however, do some damage. The rising water pushed a floating dock into a pier above it, and shrimpers had to saw off part of the dock in the gusty winds.

Inside the Bayport Inn Lounge, men at the bar watched a TV forecaster get wet. In a dark booth, Billie Billings, 74, and Chester Wansley, 71, sipped mugs of Budweiser.

"This one was so small, we had to come look," Billings said.

Bayport was blocked off by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office because of the flooding. Andy Ventaloro, 75, usually drives there every morning with his crossword puzzle, but he had to take a detour.

He wound up at Jenkins Creek Park on Hernando Beach, where he sat in his passenger seat, looking at the gray waves.

"It's quiet," he said. "Nobody bothers you."

A gust nearly blew the car door into his shins, but he caught it in time.

He got up. Hunched below the height of his Oldsmobile, he walked to the driver's seat and started the engine.

April Yee can be reached at ayee@sptimes.com or 352 754-6117.

infobox: ALBERTO EFFECTSHernando County storm information, courtesy of National Weather Service, Hernando County Emergency Management:Highest winds: 41 mph at 7:51 a.m. Tuesday; highest sustained winds 28 mph at 10 a.m. Tuesday.Highest surge: 2 feet at 3 p.m., just after high tide.Rainfall total: 2.42 inches as of noon Tuesday.Flood reports: Hernando Beach, Aripeka and Pine Island. Flooded roads include Pine Island Drive, Bayou Drive, Driftwood Drive, the west end of CR 550, Sunset Vista Drive, Eagle Nest Drive at Calienta Street, Gulf Wind Circle, Tropical Drive, Osowaw Boulevard, Shine Lane and Indian Bay Road.Damage reports: No significant damage occurred in Hernando County, according to emergency management.Number of people who sought shelter: Five.INSIDEWest Citrus County deals with flooding, closed streets and power outages. Page 8

[Last modified June 14, 2006, 00:13:35]