[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KEYW 031833
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-032130-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...HURRICANE FRANCES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
230 PM EDT FRI SEP 3 2004

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM OCEAN REEF TO THE
SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT DETAILS SPECIFIC PREPAREDNESS AND SAFETY ACTIONS TO
BE TAKEN IN THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY CONCERNING THE EFFECTS
OF HURRICANE FRANCES.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
KEYS...FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO OCEAN REEF...INCLUDING FLORIDA
BAY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH
ARE LIKELY IN THE WARNED AREA...WITHIN 24 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 200 PM THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
25.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.2 WEST...VERY NEAR THE SOUTHERN TIP OF
GREAT ABACO ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 192 MILES
EAST OF OCEAN REEF AND 297 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. FRANCES
IS NOW MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FRANCES WAS
STILL A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE
SCALE. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 961 MB...OR 28.38
INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A STATE OF EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT IN MONROE COUNTY. ALL COUNTY
OFFICES ARE CLOSED...AS WELL AS MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES.
THE MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR NON RESIDENTS AND VISITORS HAS BEEN
LIFTED.

...WIND IMPACTS...
DURING THE PAST 2 HOURS...C-MAN STATIONS AT FOWEY ROCKS AND MOLASSES
REEF RECORDED SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 20 AND 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS
BETWEEN 36 AND 43 KNOTS. FURTHER TO THE WEST...C-MAN STATIONS ALONG
THE REEF BETWEEN SOMBRERO KEY LIGHT AND SAND KEY LIGHT HAVE RECORDED
SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 15 AND 25 KNOTS...WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 20 AND
30 KNOTS IN ISOLATED SHOWERS. OVER THE ISLANDS...SUSTAINED WINDS
NEAR 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS ARE OCCURING ACROSS THE MIDDLE
AND UPPER KEYS. THE THREAT FOR SQUALLS ACROSS THE UPPER AND MIDDLE
KEY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT THROUGHOUT THE KEYS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT TODAY. SEAS
WILL BUILD TO 6 TO 9 FEET BEYOND THE REEF THIS AFTERNOON...AND UP TO
10 TO 15 FEET OFFSHORE THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS LATER TONIGHT AND
SATURDAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDE LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE KEYS ARE NEAR NORMAL AT THIS TIME.
DAMAGING STORM SURGE IS NOT EXPECTED. THE STRONG NORTH WINDS MAY
CAUSE TIDE LEVELS TO RISE ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE GULF AND BAY SIDES
OF THE KEYS.

...PROBABILITIES...
THE CHANCE THAT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL PASS WITHIN 75
MILES OF KEY WEST BETWEEN NOW AND SUNDAY EVENING IS 6 PERCENT. IT
IS 8 PERCENT FOR MARATHON AND 21 PERCENT FOR MIAMI.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE FRANCES
IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 530 PM EDT.

$$

FUTTERMAN/DEVANAS







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