[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KMFL 050722
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-051000-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
310 AM EDT SUN SEP 5 2004

...PORTIONS OF THE EYE WALL AFFECTING PALM BEACH COUNTY AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO PERSONS IN PALM BEACH...BROWARD...MIAMI-DADE...
COLLIER...HENDRY...GLADES AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR GLADES COUNTY.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST AND LAKE
OKEECHOBEE...INCLUDING METRO PALM BEACH...BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL INLAND SOUTH FLORIDA
COUNTIES.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST
FROM BONITA BEACH SOUTHWARD TO SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL SOUTH FLORIDA COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 3 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.2
NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.4 WEST. THIS LOCATION IS ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF
WEST PALM BEACH OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF PAHOKEE IN NORTHWEST PALM BEACH
COUNTY. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. FRANCES HAS NOW
MADE LANDFALL IN THE VICINITY OF STUART IN MARTIN COUNTY. RAIN BANDS ON THE WEST
AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE EYEWALL WHICH CONTAIN SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS PALM BEACH COUNTY THROUGH THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
FRANCES IS A STRONG CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 105 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RESIDENTS IN THE VICINITY OF THE EYE OF FRANCES...INCLUDING
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY...ARE URGED TO REMAIN INSIDE SAFE
SHELTER SINCE THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EYE...ACCOMPANIED BY HURRICANE-FORCE
WINDS OR WIND GUSTS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH...MAY TAKE UP TO ANOTHER 1-2
HOURS TO REACH SOME PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEAST PALM BEACH COASTLINE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
EVACUATION ORDERS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA COUNTIES REMAIN IN EFFECT. A CURFEW WILL BE
IN EFFECT FOR HENDRY AND GLADES COUNTIES THROUGH 7 AM SUNDAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
LAKE OKEECHOBEE IS BEING AFFECTED BY STRONG TROPICAL STORMS FORCE WINDS
WITH FREQUENT HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS. CONSEQUENTLY THE LATEST REPORTS FROM
THE LAKE LEVEL AS OF 1 AM WERE SHOWING ABOUT 17 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL
AROUND 8 MILES NORTH OF THE SOUTH END OF THE LAKE AND WAS AROUND 8 FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL ON THE NORTH END...A DIFFERENCE OF ABOUT 9 FEET. AS FRANCES
CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE LAKE...THE NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH
THE WATER AS HIGH AS 18 TO 20 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL THROUGH THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS ON THE LAKE SIDE OF THE DIKE IN HENDRY AND WESTERN PALM
BEACH COUNTIES. THIS WOULD AFFECT AREAS FROM CLEWISTON TO SOUTH BAY...BELLE
GLADE...PAHOKEE AND PORT MAYACA. THE HOOVER DIKE PROTECTS INHABITED AREAS TO AT
LEAST 30 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. RITTA...KREAMER AND TORRY ISLANDS WILL BE
FLOODED AT THESE LEVELS INCLUDING SOME CAMPGROUNDS AND ROADS. THE HIGHEST WATER
LEVEL WILL BE ALONG THE SOUTH END OF THE LAKE...BETWEEN LAKE HARBOR AND BELLE
GLADE...EARLY SUNDAY MORNING BUT WILL MOVE TO THE EASTERN SHORE AS THE WIND
BACKS AROUND TO THE WEST ACROSS THE LAKE BY LATER IN THE MORNING AND THEN
FINALLY AROUND TO THE NORTH END OF THE LAKE BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS THE WIND
BACKS AROUND TO THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH.

FOR THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST...MAXIMUM STORM TIDE IS EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 4
FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL ALONG THE TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS OF MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTY AND THE CHOKOLOSKEE AND EVERGLADES CITY AREAS OF COLLIER COUNTY DURING
THE PREDAWN HOURS SUNDAY. THIS COULD FLOOD PARTS OF STATE ROAD 29 BETWEEN
TAMIAMI TRAIL AND CHOKOLOSKEE. FROM MARCO ISLAND NORTH TO NAPLES AND BONITA
BEACH THE MAXIMUM STORM TIDE IS EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 3 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS ON SUNDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT 2 AM...WINDS WERE AROUND 54 MPH AT PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH
GUSTS REACHING 76 MPH. ACROSS BROWARD AND MIAMI DADE COUNTIES WINDS WERE GUSTING
40 TO 50 MPH OR ABOVE WITH A FEW STATIONS LIKE OPA LOCKA REPORTING SUSTAINED
AROUND 45 MPH. WINDS NEAR OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL
CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF NORTHERN PALM BEACH COUNTY THROUGH THE NEXT
FEW HOURS. ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF PALM BEACH AND OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF
BROWARD COUNTY...WINDS WILL BE OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WITH GUSTS CLOSE TO
HURRICANE FORCE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. ACROSS SOUTHERN BROWARD AND
MIAMI DADE COUNTY...VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WIND GUSTS. ACROSS HENDRY AND GLADES COUNTIES...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH
GUSTS CLOSE TO HURRICANE FORCE PARTICULARLY IN AREAS CLOSE TO LAKE OKEECHOBEE.
FOR THE REMAINDER OF SOUTH FLORIDA...VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH
FREQUENT GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS PARTICULARLY THROUGH DAWN.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
AT 2 AM EDT WINDS ACROSS LAKE OKEECHOBEE WERE FROM 50 TO 55 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO
79 KNOTS. A GUST OF 83 KNOTS WAS ALSO REPORTED AROUND 130 AM ON THE NORTH END
OF THE THE LAKE. HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE OCCURRING IN THE PALM BEACH
ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS WITH LAKE WORTH REPORTING WINDS OF 50 KNOTS WITH GUSTS
TO 64 KNOTS AT 2 AM. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF
LAKE OKEECHOBEE THROUGH THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE
BELOW HURRICANE FORCE AFTER DAWN SUNDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITH
SOME GUSTS CLOSE TO HURRICANE FORCE ARE OCCURRING OVER THE BROWARD AND MIAMI-
DADE COASTAL WATERS...INCLUDING BISCAYNE BAY...AND ARE FORECAST TO BEGIN
SUBSIDING OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. AT 2 AM...FOWEY ROCKS WAS REPORTING SUSTAINED
41 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 47 KNOTS.

ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST...NAPLES WAS REPORTING 25 TO 30 KNOTS WINDS GUSTING
TO 36 KNOTS AROUND 2 AM. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD
ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST COASTAL WATERS OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE WINDS ARE FROM
THE NORTHWEST WHICH WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS ON THE
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST THIS MORNING.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
AT WEST PALM BEACH...THE 24 HOURS RAINFALL TOTAL WAS 6.86 INCHES AS OF
MIDNIGHT...A RECORD FOR THE DAY. REPORTS FROM RAIN GANGES FROM THE SOUTH FLORIDA
WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT ACROSS PALM BEACH REPORT RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3
INCHES WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTY SINCE 7 AM SATURDAY MORNING. ELSEWHERE
ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA...REPORTS INDICATE ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES OF
RAIN WITH MOST AREAS INDICATING LESS THAN ONE INCH OF RAIN ON SATURDAY. BUT THE
SLOW MOVEMENT OF FRANCES MEANS THAT RAINFALL COULD STILL BE VERY HEAVY
THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY PARTICULARLY ACROSS NORTHERN PALM BEACH
COUNTY AND THE VICINITY OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE...WHILE ELSEWHERE LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL IS STILL POSSIBLE IF OUTER RAIN BANDS DEVELOP AROUND THE HURRICANE AND
MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. THEREFORE...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
SOUTH FLORIDA.

FORECASTED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH SUNDAY IN PALM BEACH COUNTY
COULD REACH UP TO 8 TO 10 INCHES...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS CLOSEST TO WHERE FRANCES
CROSSES THE COASTLINE. IN GLADES AND HENDRY COUNTIES...MAXIMUM RAINFALL TOTALS
OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. FROM 2 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REST
OF SOUTH FLORIDA.

...LOCAL TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE THREAT OF TORNADOS IS LOW ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA. HOWEVER...THIS THREAT
INCREASES IN AREAS CLOSE TO THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION WHICH MEANS THE BEST
CHANCE OF TORNADOS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA IS FOR THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION
THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HURRICANE FRANCES LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 3 AM.

$$

SANTOS

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