the heavy rainfall persisted mostly to the north and west of the center. The National Hurricane Center initially thought the center might not have been at the surface, and the agency indicated low forecasting confidence, as they could not determine a circulation center. The difficulty arose from the large, sprawling nature of the storm, and by later on May 27 a new center formed, as confirmed by radar imagery and the Hurricane Hunters. That night, the extremely small center made landfall just south of Savannah, Georgia, affecting a very small area with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 991 mbar (hPa; 29.26 inHg). Around the time of landfall, Alpha developed a warm core, indicating some tropical characteristics. The storm weakened quickly over land, although it did not dissipate until two days later over the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Preparations and impact At the time of the first advisory on Alpha, there were small craft warnings from Jacksonville, Florida to Cape May, New Jersey. Gale warnings were posted from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Chincoteague, Virginia. The interaction between Alpha and the high pressure system to its northeast caused cooler temperatures and gusty winds from Delaware southward. Wave heights reached up to along the Virginia capes. The storm dropped rainfall along the coast of North Carolina and Virginia, with a maximum of reported in Ocracoke, North Carolina. While moving slowly off the North Carolina coast, Alpha caused heavy beach erosion, destroyed one house, and threatened the foundation of several other homes in the Outer Banks. Damage totaled over $50,000 (1972 USD). While the storm was traveling over the western Atlantic Ocean, the storm produced a large area of rough seas, which was considered the greatest threat from the storm. In northeastern Florida, police officers were stationed to ensure people did not swim in the dangerous seas. The high waves also halted work to deepen a harbor at the Mayport Naval Station. Two people drowned after the storm dissipated, when surf was still turbulent. Tides along the Georgia coast reached above normal, which caused some flooding and beach erosion. Wind gusts reached on Saint Simons Island. The winds knocked down trees and power lines, leaving some people without power in eastern Georgia. Damage was minor but widespread in the state, estimated at over $50,000 (1972 USD). Moderate rains spread in coastal areas from South Carolina through southern