[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 260949
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-260930-

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

...HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING WEST OVER THE NEARSHORE WATERS OFF
OF MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING 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 STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE IMPACTS.
UPDATED STORM SURGE IMPACTS.
UPDATED RAINFALL IMPACTS.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

...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 DEERFIELD
BEACH...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 500 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.5 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 50 MILES
NORTH NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST NEAR 5
MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24
HOURS...WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. KATRINA IS A
CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME
STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE ESTIMATED
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 987 MB...OR 29.15 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES
WILL OPEN AT NOON. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS NOT ISSUED
ANY EVACUATION ORDERS AND NO SHELTERS WILL OPEN. 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 700 AM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40
TO 45 MPH FROM THE SOUTH...WITH GUSTS UP TO AROUND 65 MPH WILL
AFFECT THE UPPER KEYS.  SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS
OF 55 TO 65 MPH...WILL AFFECT THE MIDDLE KEYS. OVER THE LOWER
KEYS...WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE WEST WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 50
MPH IN SQUALLS.

...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 ARE LIKELY OVER THE ATLANTIC WATERS...WITH
FREQUENT GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 KNOTS OR MORE. EVEN HIGHER WINDS ARE
EXPECTED NORTH OF THE LOWER KEYS AND THE GULF WATERS NORTH OF KEY
WEST TO DRY TORTUGAS...WITH SUSTAINED WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 45 TO
55 KNOTS WITH GUSTS ABOVE 65 KNOTS. SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
NEAR 65 KNOTS...WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 80 KNOTS...ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE
OFFSHORE CHOKOLOSKEE WATERS 20 TO 60 NM WEST OF MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTY. SEAS WILL BUILD UP TO BETWEEN 8 AND 12 FEET IN THE OPEN
ATLANTIC WATERS...EXCEPT 10 TO 15 FEET ACROSS THE OFFSHORE
CHOKOLOSKEE WATERS 20 TO 60 NM WEST OF MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY. BAY
AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL 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 JUST OVER ONE FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ON THE BAYSIDE
AT MARATHON. STORM TIDES WILL BE AROUND 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL
TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE BAYSIDE OF THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. THIS
WILL CAUSE MINOR 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 CONTINUES FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TODAY THROUGH EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES FOR THIS STORM HAVE
REGISTERED RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS THE UPPER
KEYS...WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS THE MIDDLE KEYS...AND 1 TO 3 INCHES
IN THE LOWER KEYS. TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE KEYS BY SATURDAY MORNING...AS MULTIPLE
PASSING RAIN BANDS WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CONTINUE TO SWEEP OVER
THE KEYS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON TROPICAL STORM KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 730 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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