[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KTBW 131841
HLSTBW

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-131930-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE CHARLEY LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
205 PM EDT FRI AUG 13 2004

...CHARLEY STRENGTHENS TO CATEGORY FOUR WITH WINDS AROUND 145 MPH...

...CHARLEY CHANGES DIRECTION AND NOW HEADED FOR PORT CHARLOTTE...

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE CHARLEY WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT
TO THE WESTERN FLORIDA PENINSULA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

...HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COASTAL AREA...

...AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND COUNTIES
OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.

...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA THROUGH SATURDAY...

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA THROUGH 2 AM...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA:

  CHARLOTTE                        CITRUS
  DE SOTO                          HARDEE
  HERNANDO                         HIGHLANDS
  HILLSBOROUGH                     LEE
  LEVY                             MANATEE
  PASCO                            PINELLAS
  POLK                             SARASOTA
  SUMTER

INCLUDING...
THE COASTAL WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE
RIVER...CHARLOTTE HARBOR AND TAMPA BAY.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA:

   HARDEE
   HIGHLANDS
   POLK
   SUMTER

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 2PM EDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE CHARLEY WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.4 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF FORT MYERS FLORIDA...90 MILES SOUTH OF SARASOTA...OR 130 MILES
SOUTH OF TAMPA. CHARLEY WAS MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 20
MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO AROUND 145 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS...AND SOME FLUXUATION IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON. CHARLEY HAS BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE. MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 954 MB...OR 28.17 INCHES.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WITH CHARLEY BECOMING A MAJOR HURRICANE...THE THREAT OF A RAPIDLY
DEVELOPING STORM SURGE IN THE STORM'S SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE IS GREAT.
ALSO...CHARLEY HAS TAKEN A TURN TO THE NORTHEAST AND WILL MAKE
LANDFALL NEAR PORT CHARLOTTE...DIRECTLY AFFECTING CAPTIVA AND SANIBEL
ISLANDS. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE HIGHEST SURGE WILL OCCUR
FROM EXTREME SOUTHERN SARASOTA COUNTY DOWN TO LEE COUNTY.

A STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 15 FEET IS POSSIBLE TO THE SOUTH OF WHERE
CHARLEY MAKES LANDFALL.  A STORM SURGE OF 4 TO 7 FEET IS POSSIBLE
NORTH OF WHERE CHARLEY MOVES ONSHORE AS THE WINDS COME AROUND TO THE
WEST BEHIND THE STORM.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING NOW IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
AND WILL BE LASTING AROUND 11 HOURS...CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA
FROM AROUND 3 PM AND LASTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 12 HOURS...AND THE
NATURE COAST FROM AROUND 5 PM AND ONLY LASTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 3
HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND GUSTS WILL GENERALLY LAST 2 TO 4
HOURS WITH STRONGEST WINDS ALONG THE COAST. THESE TIMES AND
STRENGTHENS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH ANY FUTURE TRACK OR SPEED
ADJUSTMENTS.

CHARLEY IS NOW A VERY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE...WITH
WINDS IN THE INNER EYEWALL UP TO 145 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HOWEVER...NO MATTER WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES...CURRENT
FORECAST DATA SUGGEST TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH
WILL AFFECT ALL AREAS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY.

...VERY DANGEROUS WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE...
...DESTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES NEAR THE CENTER OF THE STORM IS
POSSIBLE...

...STRUCTURAL DAMAGE...
THE MAJORITY OF MOBILE HOMES WILL BE SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED
NEAR WHERE THE STORM MAKES LANDFALL.  HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE
CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE...INCLUDING PARTIAL WALL
COLLAPSE AND ROOFS BEING LIFTED OFF. MANY WILL BE UNINHABITABLE. WELL
CONSTRUCTED HOUSES WILL INCUR MINOR DAMAGE TO
SHINGLES...SIDING...GUTTERS...AS WELL AS BLOWN OUT WINDOWS.

MINOR TO MAJOR ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED AT INDUSTRIAL
PARKS...ESPECIALLY TO THOSE BUILDINGS WITH LIGHT WEIGHT STEEL AND
ALUMINUM COVERINGS. OLDER LOW RISING APARTMENT ROOFS MAY ALSO BE TORN
OFF...AS WELL AS RECEIVING SIDING AND SHINGLE DAMAGE. MUCH OF THE
GLASS IN HIGH RISE OFFICE BUILDINGS WILL BE BLOWN OUT. AIRBORNE
DEBRIS WILL CAUSE DAMAGE...INJURY...AND POSSIBLE FATALITIES.

...NATURAL DAMAGE...
ALL TREES WITH ROTTING BASES WILL BECOME UPROOTED OR SNAP. NEARLY ALL
LARGE BRANCHES WILL SNAP...AND MAJOR DAMAGE CAN BE EXPECTED TO
CITRUS GROVES...INCLUDING NUMEROUS UPROOTED TREES...MOST COMMON WHERE
THE GROUND IS SATURATED.

RESIDENTS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION PREPARATIONS
TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY...THEN MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

IN RURAL LOCATIONS...SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL SURPASS BANK
FULL FOR MORE THAN 6 HOURS.

URBAN AREAS WILL SEE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING AS RAINFALL OF 4 TO 8
INCHES WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE STORM SURGE WILL LIMIT
EVACUATION OF THE WATER.

HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE RIVERS TO SWELL LONG AFTER THE STORM PASSES.
PERSONS LIVING ALONG RIVERS SHOULD MONITOR EVENTS THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA FORECAST
OFFICE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 2 PM EDT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS
DANGEROUS HURRICANE. HEED ALL EVACUATION ORDERS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT
OR MILITARY PERSONNEL.

$$
LINHARES
$$



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