After Tropical Storm Arlene: Fla. Panhandle, Alabama Report Only Minimal Damage

Initial damage reports in Gulf Shores, Ala. were minimal after Tropical Storm Arlene came ashore on Saturday afternoon dropping more than 5 inches of rain and taking basically the same path as Hurricane Ivan last September.

Arlene weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday and moved across Alabama with top sustained winds of 25 mph.

Initial reports showed minimal damage with more than 7,000 residents without electricity during the afternoon. Due to wind threats, a few bridges in the Panhandle were closed and some flooding was reported along Alabama’s coastal highways.

As Arlene continued inland, accompanied by a few tornadoes, the tropical storm weakened to 40 mph and dropped 3 to 5 inches of rain along its path northward.

Eight shelters opened in west Florida on Saturday, but only slightly more than 200 evacuees checked in. One shelter opened in Jackson, Miss., but no one came.