[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KHGX 231615
HLSHGX
GMZ335-355-375-TXZ200-213-214-237-238-232130-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1115 AM CDT THU SEP 23 2004

...TROPICAL STORM IVAN STRENGTHENS WHILE HEADING NORTHWESTWARD...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKE BY RESIDENTS
OF LIBERTY...CHAMBERS...HARRIS...GALVESTON...AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES OF
TEXAS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA
COAST FROM NORTH OF SARGENT TO MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...
HARRIS...AND LIBERTY COUNTIES THROUGH TONIGHT.

...STORM INFORMATION...

.LOCATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE POORLY DEFINED CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM IVAN WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 85
MILES SOUTHEAST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.

.MOVEMENT...
TROPICAL STORM IVAN IS MOVING NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH. THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO BRING THE CENTER OF IVAN ONSHORE THE COAST NEAR PORT
ARTHUR EARLY THIS EVENING.

.WINDS...
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS MAINLY
EAST AND NORTH OF THE CENTER. NO ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
ANTICIPATED PRIOR TO LANDFALL.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PERSONS LIVING ACROSS GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...AND LIBERTY COUNTIES
SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BY THIS EVENING.
OUTDOOR OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH RECEPTACLES...LAWN FURNITURE...AND
RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE PUT INSIDE OR TIED DOWN TO HELP
PREVENT DAMAGE TO WINDOWS AND DOORWAYS. PERSONS LIVING ALONG THE COAST
AND NEAR GALVESTON BAY AT ELEVATIONS OF 5 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL OR LESS
SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SURGE FLOODING DURING THE DAY AND EVENING
HOURS THURSDAY. SOME ROADS NEAR THE COAST AND NEAR GALVESTON BAY COULD
BECOME INUNDATED EARLY THURSDAY MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT IF NOT
IMPOSSIBLE.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING 1 TO 1.5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG
THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AND GALVESTON BAY. ACTUAL TIDE LEVELS RANGE
FROM 2.2 TO 3.2 FEET...WITH A FEW SPOTS ON GALVESTON ISLAND UP TO 4
FEET.

MOST LOCATIONS ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AND GALVESTON BAY WILL BE
GOING INTO LOW TIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS A RESULT...TIDES
ARE AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVELS AT MOST LOCATIONS NOW...AND WILL LEVEL OFF
OR SLOWLY SUBSIDE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

ONLY MORGANS POINT AND THE BAY-FACING SIDE OF THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA
COULD STILL SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE
APPROACH OF IVAN. AT THESE LOCATIONS...TIDE LEVELS COULD STILL
INCREASE ANOTHER 0.5 TO 1 FOOT BY THIS EVENING.

TIDES WILL GRADUALLY RETURN TO NORMAL LEVELS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.

LOCATION       HIGH TIDE TIME     NORMAL LEVEL      PREDICTED LEVEL

CLEAR LAKE     FRI 10:02 AM       1.2 FEET          2.0 FEET

MORGANS POINT  THU 1:57 PM        1.4 FEET          3.9 FEET
               FRI 2:18 PM        1.4 FEET          2.0 FEET

EAGLE POINT    THU 7:30 AM        1.4 FEET          3.7 FEET

FREEPORT       FRI 3:13 AM        2.5 FEET          3.5 FEET

GALVESTON      FRI 3:57 AM        1.9 FEET          3.0 FEET
CHANNEL

JAMAICA        FRI 6:35 AM        1.4 FEET          2.5 FEET
BEACH

PLEASURE PIER  FRI 2:33 AM        2.9 FEET          4.0 FEET

PORT BOLIVAR   FRI 4:11 AM        1.9 FEET          3.4 FEET

SAN LUIS PASS  FRI 3:48 AM        1.6 FEET          2.6 FEET

NOTE: WATER LEVELS ARE REFERENCED TO MEAN LOWER LOW WATER

REFERENCE LEVELS AND LOCAL EFFECTS ARE PROVIDED BELOW:

...AT 4.0 FEET...
GALVESTON AND BOLIVAR PENINSULA: WATER BEGINS COVERING THE LOWEST
WATERFRONT STREETS ON THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA...WESTERN GALVESTON ISLAND
AND THE JAMAICA BEACH AREA.

DICKINSON...ROADS NEAR GUM AND DICKINSON BAYOU BELOW THE GOLF COURSE
MAY FLOOD AND BECOME IMPASSABLE.

KEMAH AND SEABROOK: WATER BEGINS TO COVER PORTIONS OF TODDVILLE ROAD.
WATER APPROACHES LOWER PORTIONS OF RED BLUFF ROAD BETWEEN BAY AREA
BLVD AND HIGHWAY 146.

CHAMBERS COUNTY: PORTIONS OF WEST BAYSHORE RD BETWEEN ANAHUAC AND OAK
ISLAND BEGIN TO FLOOD. WATER ALSO APPROACHES HIGHWAY 124 BETWEEN
HIGH ISLAND AND FM 1985.

...WIND IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF IVAN...TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO IMPACT A SMALL PORTION OF THE UPPER TEXAS
COAST. THIS INCLUDES THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA...THE GALVESTON BAY
SHORELINE AREAS...AND PORTIONS OF CHAMBERS AND SOUTHERN LIBERTY
COUNTIES. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 MPH
WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS BETWEEN 5 PM AND MIDNIGHT THIS
EVENING. ELSEWHERE OVER LAND...WINDS SHOULD REMAIN WELL BELOW TROPICAL
STORM FORCE.

...RAINFALL...
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN REACHING THE UPPER TEXAS COAST
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND SLOWLY SPREAD INLAND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS
DURING THE EVENING. HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT.

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS IS EXPECTED FRIDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY ONCE THE CENTER OF IVAN MOVES WELL INLAND. EXPECT
WIDESPREAD STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH ISOLATED
AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE NEAR WHERE THE CENTER OF IVAN
TRACKS.

FOR MORE TROPICAL WEATHER INFORMATION...SEE THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV OR THE WEB PAGE OF THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX.

THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM IVAN STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 130 PM
CDT.

$$

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