[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 260533 CCB
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-260730-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
130 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...TROPICAL STORM KATRINA MOVING SOUTHWEST OVER THE NEARSHORE WATERS
OFF OF MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING ISSUED FOR THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS
INCLUDING DRY TORTUGAS...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL SATURDAY
MORNING...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED WATCHES AND WARNINGS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE IMPACTS.
UPDATED ALL SECTIONS TO REMOVE OVERNIGHT WORDING.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY...
INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...
FLORIDA BAY...AND NOW INCLUDES THE DRY TORTUGAS. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...INCLUDING WINDS OF 39
TO 73 MPH...ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. FOR
THOSE PLANNING TO DRIVE NORTH FROM THE KEYS...BE AWARE THAT A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM FLORIDA CITY TO JUPITER
INLET...AS WELL AS ALONG THE GULF COAST FROM FLORIDA CITY AROUND TO
LONGBOAT KEY. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS
TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 25.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.1 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 65
MILES  NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING SOUTHWEST NEAR 8
MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS...WITH KATRINA CONTINUING TO MOVE INTO THE GULF OF
MEXICO THIS MORNING. GRADUAL RE-STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED AS KATRINA
CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 990 MB...OR 29.23 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES
WILL REMAIN OPEN. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS NOT ISSUED
ANY EVACUATION ORDERS AND NO SHELTERS WILL OPEN. NO TOLLS WILL BE
COLLECTED ON THE CARD SOUND ROAD BRIDGE THROUGH 500 AM THIS MORNING.
RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF KATRINA AND
LISTEN FOR ANY BULLETINS FROM OFFICIAL MONROE COUNTY SOURCES.
VISITORS ENJOYING FLORIDA KEYS LODGING SHOULD CHECK WITH THEIR FRONT
DESK FOR ANY OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OFFICIALS EXPECT FLIGHT
CANCELLATIONS TODAY FOR AIRLINES SERVING KEY WEST TO MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL AND FORT LAUDERDALE HOLLYWOOD AIRPORTS. PASSENGERS
WITH RESERVATIONS SHOULD CHECK WITH AIRLINES PRIOR TO GOING TO THE
AIRPORTS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...INCLUDING WINDS RANGING BETWEEN 39 MPH
AND 73 MPH...ARE EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY. RESIDENTS
SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS WHICH COULD BE BLOWN ABOUT IN STRONG
WINDS. THROUGH 300 AM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FROM
THE SOUTH...WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH...ON THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST EDGE
OF KATRINA'S CORE...WILL AFFECT THE UPPER KEYS.  WEST TO SOUTHWEST
WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH...WILL AFFECT THE
MIDDLE KEYS. OVER THE LOWER KEYS...WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE
WEST WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 50 MPH IN SQUALLS BY 300 AM.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS TODAY THROUGH
SUNDAY. GENERALLY WINDS SOUTHWEST TO SOUTH TODAY...WITH SPEEDS OF 40
TO 45 KNOTS OR MORE OVER MOST KEYS WATERS...AND FREQUENT GUSTS OF 50
TO 55 KNOTS OR MORE. OVER GULF WATERS OFFSHORE MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTY...SUSTAINED WINDS UP TO 45 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 60 KNOTS
WILL BE LIKELY THIS MORNING. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST
OVER TROPICAL STORM FORCE THIS AFTERNOON. SEAS WILL BUILD UP TO
AROUND 10 FEET IN OPEN WATERS...WHILE BAY AND NEARSHORE WATERS
BECOME EXTREMELY ROUGH. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
NO SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. TIDES
ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ONE FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ON THE BAYSIDE AT
MARATHON...AND WILL BE 1 TO 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THIS WILL
CAUSE MINOR NUISANCE FLOODING OF DOCKS AND LOW COASTAL STREETS...
ALONG THE BAYSIDE THE UPPER KEYS AND JEWFISH CREEK...MAINLY DURING
THIS MORNING.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TODAY THROUGH
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. HIGHER TOTAL RAINFALL IS NOW EXPECTED OVER
THE KEYS...WITH RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE
DURING THE PERIOD TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...AS MULTIPLE PASSING
RAIN BANDS WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS SWEEP OVER THE KEYS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON TROPICAL STORM KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 330 AM EDT...OR WHEN NEW
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK
OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEY WEST.

$$

RIZZO/FUTTERMAN
















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