[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 261338
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-261530-

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

...HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING WEST ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO NORTH OF
THE MARQUESAS KEYS...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY AND THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN LOWER KEYS AND
MIDDLE KEYS FROM UPPER SUGARLOAF KEY TO DUCK KEY THROUGH 1145 AM
EDT...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL SATURDAY
MORNING...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED WATCHES AND WARNINGS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE IMPACTS.
UPDATED STORM SURGE IMPACTS.
UPDATED RAINFALL IMPACTS.

...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 THE FLORIDA KEYS...
FLORIDA BAY...AND THE DRY TORTUGAS. 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 WARNING
IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN LOWER KEYS AND THE MIDDLE KEYS
FROM UPPER SUGARLOAF KEY TO DUCK KEY. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN
EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS CONTINUING UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 900 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.0 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 45 MILES
NORTH-NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 6 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. 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...
THE CITY OF MARATHON HAS REQUESTED THAT PEOPLE REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES
AND DO NOT DRIVE OUT ON CITY STREETS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS TREES...
SOME POWER LINES...AND SIGNS DOWN ON ROADWAYS. MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WILL BE CLOSED TODAY. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES WILL OPEN AT NOON
TODAY. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS NOT ISSUED ANY
EVACUATION ORDERS AND NO SHELTERS ARE OPEN. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF KATRINA AND LISTEN FOR ANY BULLETINS
FROM OFFICIAL MONROE COUNTY SOURCES. FLORIDA KEYS VISITORS SHOULD
CHECK WITH THEIR FRONT DESK FOR ANY OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
OFFICIALS INDICATE THAT BOTH KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AND FLORIDA KEYS
MARATHON AIRPORTS MAY TEMPORARILY CLOSE AT TIMES TODAY AS THE OUTER
BANDS OF HURRICANE KATRINA PASS THROUGH. 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 AIRPORTS. THE FLORIDA KEYS
ELECTRIC COOP REPORTS 2500 TO 3000 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER...AND
KEYS ENERGY SERVICES REPORTS 4000 TO 5000 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER.
CREWS ARE UNABLE TO MAKE REPAIRS AT THIS TIME DUE TO HAZARDOUS
WEATHER. THE FLORIDA KEYS AQUEDUCT AUTHORITY REPORTS NO PROBLEMS
WITH THE WATER SUPPLY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...INCLUDING WINDS RANGING BETWEEN 39 MPH
AND 73 MPH...ARE EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY. THROUGH 1000
AM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 65 MPH...ON THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST
EDGE OF KATRINA'S CORE...WILL AFFECT THE FLORIDA KEYS. DRIVING IS
DISCOURAGED.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS TODAY THROUGH
PROBABLY SUNDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE GULF OF
MEXICO WATERS NORTH OF THE MARQUESAS KEYS AND DRY TORTUGAS AS
HURRICANE KATRINA MOVES WEST OVER THE AREA. A PRIMARILY SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST WIND DIRECTION TODAY WILL SEE SPEEDS OF 35 TO 45 KNOTS OR
MORE OVER MOST WATERS ADJOINING THE FLORIDA KEYS...WITH GUSTS TO 65
KNOTS OR MORE. SEAS WILL REACH 6 TO 12 FEET OR HIGHER IN OPEN
WATERS...WHILE BAY AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL BE VERY ROUGH. SMALL
CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
NO SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. TIDES
MAY RUN UP TO 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL...WITH POSSIBLE MINOR
NUISANCE FLOODING OF DOCKS AND LOW COASTAL STREETS TODAY.

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

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN LOWER KEYS AND THE
MIDDLE KEYS FROM UPPER SUGARLOAF KEY TO DUCK KEY...UNTIL 1145 AM
EDT. WIDESPREAD STREET AND PARKING LOT FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN
MARATHON AND PORTIONS OF THE LOWER AND MIDDLE KEYS. DOPPLER RADAR
ESTIMATES AND STORM SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATE 5 TO 7 INCHES OF
RAINFALL HAS OCCURRED SINCE ABOUT 300 AM...WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL
ACCUMULATIONS AT LEAST 1 TO 3 INCHES LIKELY BEFORE NOON IN THE
WARNING AREA...AS MULTIPLE PASSING RAIN BANDS WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS
SWEEP OVER THE KEYS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TODAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON TROPICAL STORM KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 1130 AM EDT...OR WHEN NEW
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK
OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEY WEST.

$$

K. KASPER






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