After splashing ashore in Florida without its once-feared punch, the remnants of the first named storm of the season churned through the Southeast early Wednesday, bringing much-needed rain and offering a tune-up for officials readying for the long hurricane season. By early Wednesday morning, Alberto had weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression over South Carolina and all tropical storm warnings were discontinued, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was expected to lose all tropical characteristics later in the day, though it was possible the storm could strengthen again.
After last year's 28 named storms and record 15 hurricanes, Tropical Storm Alberto caused a brief scare and prompted a call for more than 20,000 people to evacuate Florida's Gulf Coast. But no serious injuries or deaths were reported.
