Tropical Storm Alberto produced extensive and destructive flooding over portions of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in July 1994.

The first named storm of the annual hurricane season, Alberto developed from a tropical wave over the northwestern Caribbean Sea on June 30.

Initially a tropical depression, the system moved westward, before curving northwestward on July 1 and entering the Gulf of Mexico.

Alberto strengthened steadily over the Gulf of Mexico, and by midday on July 3, it peaked as a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h).

In its early and precursor stages, Alberto produced about 10 in (250 mm) of precipitation on Cuba's Isla de la Juventud.

Striking the Florida Panhandle as a strong tropical storm, the cyclone caused some erosion and wind damage.

Radiosonde data from Dakar, Senegal, indicated that a tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on June 18.

After crossing Cuba and emerging into the Caribbean Sea by the following day, deep convection quickly redeveloped and became more concentrated as the wave encountered only light vertical wind shear.

[2] Early on July 2, a reconnaissance aircraft flight into the cyclone indicated that it had intensified into a tropical storm, which was assigned the name Alberto.

Later that day, Alberto accelerated somewhat in a northerly direction due to another short-wave trough approaching the central Gulf Coast of the United States, with the storm's forward speed increasing to about 14 mph (23 km/h).

At 12:00 UTC on July 3, Alberto attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 993 mbar (29.3 inHg).

As a result, Alberto began drifting over Georgia, executing a small cyclonic loop before entering Alabama.

In the United States, a tropical storm watch was posted on July 2 for locations between Sabine Pass, Texas and Pensacola, Florida.

[4] At gasoline stations, unusually long lines formed, and local stores did increased business in selling emergency supplies.

[5] Thousands of tourists along the coast left the region; a local deputy was quoted as estimating that 10,000 people checked out of their hotels early.

[10][11] In the United States, Alberto produced heavy rainfall over the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama, and central and southwest Georgia.

As the storm progressed inland, it brought down signs, billboards, trees and powerlines, and triggered moderate flooding; about 18,500 customers lost electric power.

[14]: 38  As heavy rain fell to the north, tremendous volumes of water moved down major river systems into the Florida Panhandle.

[17] Due to a previously stalled cold front, which subsequently caused Alberto to remain stationary, the ground was already saturated with rainfall.

Fifteen of the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) gaging stations were severely damaged or demolished, forcing data to be collected manually and reported by cellphone.

[14] Although the river crested about 7 ft (2.1 m) lower than initially predicted, flooding moderately or severely damaged approximately 300 homes in Bainbridge, as well as more than a dozen businesses.

In the five counties of Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, Thomas, and Worth, the Little and Ochlockonee rivers overflowed their banks, flooding adjacent areas.

[24] Several locations along State Route 37 flooded in Fort Gaines, a city in Clay County.To the north in Randolph County, Cuthbert recorded 23.85 in (606 mm) of rainfall during a 5-day period.

[14] In Americus, flood waters threatened 21,000 acres (8,500 ha) of peanuts and other crops such as cotton and corn, while numerous streets, businesses, and homes were inundated.

[14] Additionally, flood waters approached the home of former President of the United States Jimmy Carter, but no damage occurred.

A thunderstorm in Pike County on July 4 generated wind gusts exceeding 55 mph (89 km/h), downing a number of trees and power lines and damaging homes and historical buildings in Zebulon.

A thunderstorm on the following day produced downburst winds, which damaged a few office buildings, ripped off portions of a church roof, and downed more trees in the city.

The region only recorded wind gusts up to 33 mph (53 km/h) at Dauphin Island, while the National Weather Service office in Mobile noted "the western most rainshield and banded convection associated with T.S.

[29] To the northeast, however, the cyclone dropped heavy precipitation across the southeastern part of the state, peaking at 22.63 in (575 mm) of rain near Enterprise.

[14]: 16–17 Because of the severe flooding in the state of Georgia, then-governor Zell Miller declared 55 counties in a state of emergency, which included the following counties in central Georgia: Bibb, Butts, Crawford, Dooly, Houston, Jones, Lamar, Macon, Monroe, Peach, Sumter, Taylor, Twiggs, and Upson.