[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 252150
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-260000-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
550 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA STRENGTHENING AS IT BEARS DOWN ON THE SOUTHEAST
FLORIDA COAST...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE
COUNTY NORTH TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY...
...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE
COUNTY NORTH TO ANCLOTE KEY IN PINELLAS COUNTY...
...A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...
MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES FROM 2 PM FRIDAY
UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE COUNTY
NORTH TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE
COUNTY NORTH TO ANCLOTE KEY IN PINELLAS COUNTY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...
MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE COUNTY
NORTH TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY NORTH TO ANCLOTE KEY IN
PINELLAS COUNTY. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LEE...CHARLOTTE...
SARASOTA...MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES FROM 2 PM
FRIDAY UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 5 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.9 WEST...ABOUT 15 MILES EAST
NORTHEAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE OR ABOUT 125 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF
FORT MYERS. KATRINA WAS MOVING WEST NEAR 6 MPH.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD IMPACTS...
DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS IN THE FLOOD WATCH AREA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE TONIGHT. THESE
STORMS WILL BE MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTHWESTWARD ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTER
RAIN BANDS OF KATRINA...AND WILL PROVIDE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS. STEADIER
RAINS WILL BEGIN FRIDAY MORNING...WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS EXPECTED
FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AS THE DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE ON THE
EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE STORM ROTATES THROUGH. ANY STATIONARY
BANDS THAT SET UP COULD DROP VERY HEAVY RAINS IN JUST A FEW HOURS.

RAINFALL TOTALS BETWEEN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY WILL RANGE FROM 6
TO 12 INCHES ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME FRESHWATER FLOODING...INCLUDING SHEET
FLOW...OVER THE WEEKEND AS WELL.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 15 TO
25 MPH THIS EVENING WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WINDS WILL THEN BECOME EAST TO
SOUTHEAST AND REACH 30 TO 45 MPH FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AS THE MORE ACTIVE CONVECTION MOVES ACROSS SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA AND THE CENTER OF KATRINA PASSES. PEAK GUSTS OF 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED IN STRONGER FEEDER BAND STORMS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
COUNTIES WITHIN THE WARNING AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE RIGHT
FRONT QUADRANT OF KATRINA FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING...INCREASING THE THREAT FOR QUICKLY DEVELOPING TORNADOES.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM SURGE IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS WINDS WILL
REMAIN PREDOMINANTLY OFFSHORE. HOWEVER...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR
A QUICK RISE IN TIDAL LEVELS SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AS
WINDS SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AND CONTINUE AT 20 TO 25 MPH OR MORE. THIS
COULD PILE WATER ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORELINES. TIDES MAY RUN 1 TO 3
FEET ABOVE NORMAL DURING THIS TIME...CAUSING OVERWASH.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL KATRINA PASSES BY THE AREA
AND WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SEAS WILL
INCREASE UP TO 10 FEET OFFSHORE BY FRIDAY EVENING...AND POSSIBLY
BUILD AS HIGH AS 15 FEET OFFSHORE LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 730 AND 800 PM TONIGHT.

$$

RKR/RD/JLC


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