Subtropical Storm Alberto struck the Florida Panhandle just east of Pensacola Monday evening, powered by winds of up to 45 mph while drenching the Panhandle with rain.
The storm was moving across land at Laguna Beach, threatening flash floods and up to 8 inches of steady rain.
Meanwhile, a flood watch for all of South Florida was canceled, the National Weather Service's Miami-South Florida forecast office said.
"While some heavy showers remain possible across the area today, the risk of flooding for South Florida has diminished,'' the weather service said.
The flood watch was in effect while Subtropical Storm Alberto slowly moved up the Gulf coast. The storm was expected to reach the Florida Panhandle Monday afternoon.
The storm weakened slightly, with sustained winds topping 50 mph, down from 60 mph in late morning Monday.
While forecasters discontinued the storm warning west of the Florida-Alabama border, they were still concerned about storm surge and flash flooding in the Panhandle. A tropical storm warning remained in effect stretching from Florida's Suwannee River to the border of Alabama and Mississippi.
The storm is the first of this year's hurricane season, coming a few days before the season starts Friday.
Alberto also was expected to affect Cuba, with an additional 5 to 10 inches of rain projected to hit Central Cuba, forecasters said, with isolated storm totals of 20 to 25 inches of rain. The rain could lead to flash floods and mudslides on the island.
