[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMFL 251539
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-252200-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1028 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...KATRINA MOVING STRAIGHT WEST TOWARD FLORIDA SOUTHEAST COAST...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE..
UPDATED STORM SURGE/TIDE INFORMATION
UPDATED LOCAL FLOOD IMPACT

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

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AT 11 AM EDT...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL METROPOLITAN
PALM BEACH...BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES...THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...
BISCAYNE BAY AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR METROPOLITAN PALM
BEACH...BROWARD...AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
INLAND AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA INCLUDING GLADES...HENDRY...WESTERN PALM BEACH...
WESTERN BROWARD...AND WESTERN MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR INLAND AREAS OF SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA INCLUDING COLLIER AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST
FROM BONITA BEACH SOUTHWARD TO OCEAN REEF INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY AND THE
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COASTAL WATERS.

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

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR 26.2 NORTH...
LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES EAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE. KATRINA IS
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 6 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS
MOTION WILL BRING THE CENTER OF KATRINA ONSHORE THE SOUTHEAST COAST AS EARLY AS
THIS EVENING. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE AND TODAY AND KATRINA COULD BECOME CATEGORY ONE
HURRICANE BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE SOUTHEAST COAST.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...FOR PALM BEACH...BROWARD...AND MIAMI-
DADE COUNTIES...PREPARATIONS SHOULD ALREADY BE COMPLETED. TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED
TODAY AND TONIGHT BECAUSE OF INCREASING SQUALLS.

IN COLLIER COUNTY...SCHOOLS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CLOSED FRIDAY. RESIDENTS OF
MOBILE HOMES ARE RECOMMENDED FOR EVACUATION AND A SHELTER WILL LIKELY BE
OPENED LATER TODAY...CHECK WITH COLLIER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR DETAILS.

IN GLADES COUNTY...A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION FOR MOBILE HOMES IN LOW LYING AREAS
WILL BEGIN AT 1 PM TODAY. FOUR GENERAL SHELTERS AND ONE SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTER
WILL BE OPENED.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
IF THE LANDFALL OCCURS NEAR HIGH TIDE TONIGHT AT 148 AM THE STORM TIDE ON THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST...THE ACTUAL HEIGHT OF THE WATER AT THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
COASTLINE WILL BE 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. ALONG WITH THIS LARGE AND
BATTERING WAVES WILL HIT THE OCEAN SHORELINE.

BISCAYNE BAY WILL EXPERIENCE AN OFFSHORE WIND...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN MUCH LOWER
THAN NORMAL WATER LEVELS TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE...A PERSISTENT STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WIND WILL BLOW WATER AWAY
FROM THE NORTHEASTERN SHORE AND PILE WATER UP ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN SHORE AND
IN THE MOUTH OF FISHEATING CREEK. MAXIMUM STORM TIDE LEVELS ON THE SOUTHWEST
SIDE OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE...MAINLY FROM MOORE HAVEN TO CLEWISTON TO BELLE GLADE...
ARE EXPECTED TO BE FROM 18 TO 19 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL...WHILE ON THE
NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE LAKE THE LEVEL COULD DROP TO 13 TO 14 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL. AS KATRINA MOVES INLAND...THE WIND WILL VEER TO THE EAST...WHICH WOULD
INCREASE THE PILING OF WATER INTO THE MOUTH OF FISHEATING CREEK. THIS SCENARIO
WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF KATRINA MOVES FARTHER NORTH THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST.

WHILE KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO BE SOMEWHAT WEAKER AFTER MOVING ACROSS THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA FRIDAY...THE WIND FLOW IS EXPECTED TO BE ONSHORE IN COLLIER AND
MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES AND A MAXIMUM STORM TIDE OF 4 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE COLLIER BEACHES AROUND 800 PM FRIDAY EVENING NEAR
THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
FREQUENT WIND GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE...39 TO 73 MPH...CAN BE
EXPECTED IN SQUALLS AFFECTING THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST THIS AFTERNOON.
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE BEACHES OF
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA MAINLY FROM WEST PALM BEACH SOUTH TO MIAMI...BY MID
TO LATE AFTERNOON TODAY. WINDS MAY BRIEFLY REACH HURRICANE FORCE...GREATER THAN
73 MPH...NEAR THE CENTER JUST BEFORE LANDFALL EARLY TONIGHT ESPECIALLY ALONG
THE COAST OF BROWARD AND SOUTHERN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND IN THE UPPER FLOORS OF
HIGH RISE BUILDINGS. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS SHOULD LAST INTO THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE AND CAN
POSSIBLY DOWN POWER LINES AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS ACROSS THE METRO AREAS OF SOUTHEAST
FLORIDA.

...PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE CHANCES OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ALONG THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST
RANGE FROM 73 TO 84 PERCENT. THE CHANCES OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ALONG THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST RANGE FROM 7 TO 9 PERCENT.

THE CHANCES OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF
COAST RANGE ARE ABOUT 50 PERCENT...AND THE CHANCES OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST ARE ONLY ABOUT 5 PERCENT.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
ALL MARINERS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION PREPARATIONS TO SECURE BOATS AND
OTHER MARINE CRAFT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE ALREADY MOVING INTO THE
ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS AT 31 MPH
GUSTING TO 39 MPH REPORTED AT SETTLEMENT POINT ON GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND AT 4 AM
EDT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL MOVE ACROSS ALL OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL
WATERS DURING THE DAY TODAY. SEAS WILL BUILD RAPIDLY TODAY AS THE CIRCULATION
AROUND KATRINA OPPOSES THE NORTH FLOWING GULF STREAM. INCREASING WAVES ALONG THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BEACHES WILL MEAN A HIGHER CHANCE OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS
TODAY.

ON THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST...MARINERS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION ACTIONS
TO PROTECT MARINE CRAFT. FREQUENT GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WITH SQUALLS
WILL BE AFFECTING THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST FROM CAPE SABLE NORTHWARD
FRIDAY MORNING LASTING INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS
EVENING. HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL LAST ALL DAY FRIDAY AND FINALLY DIMINISH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE STRONGEST
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE SOUTH SHORE...ESPECIALLY FROM MOORE HAVEN
AROUND TO CLEWISTON AND LAKE HARBOR AND BELLE GLADE.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAIN AROUND KATRINA MAY FAVOR HEAVIER RAINS TO THE SOUTH
OF THE CENTER. THIS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN BROWARD AND ALL OF MIAMI-DADE
COUNTIES. WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS RAINFALL RATES OF 2 TO 3 INCHES
PER HOUR IN THE HEAVIES RAIN BANDS...SOUTH OF THE CENTER. THESE HEAVIER
BANDS WILL BE MOVING ASHORE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF KATRINA MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR VERY
HEAVY...PROBABLY FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA FROM NOW UNTIL
SUNDAY. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED
ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA...WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS TO 15 TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE DUE TO
THE VERY SLOW MOVEMENT. EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR SLOW MOVING STORMS WERE IRENE IN
1999 AND THE DISTURBANCE OF OCTOBER 2 2000 WHICH PRODUCED LOCALIZED RAINFALL
TOTALS OF 15 TO 20 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD
FLOODING THAT LASTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

...LOCAL TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADOES IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS
THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY SATURDAY...MAINLY TO THE
NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE MIAMI WEATHER FORECAST
OFFICE AROUND 5 PM TODAY.

FOR A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THIS LOCAL STATEMENT...PLEASE GO TO
OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.MIAMIWEATHER.INFO AND CLICK ON THE GRAPHICAL
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT ICON.

$$

LUSHINE

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