[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 261501
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-261730-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1100 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. 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 1100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 45 MILES
NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST...OR ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT
JEFFERSON IN THE DRY TORTUGAS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 7 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 981 MB...OR 28.97 INCHES
OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE CAUTIONED RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO
REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL WEATHER CONDITIONS IMPROVE. MONROE COUNTY
SCHOOLS AND OFFICES ARE CLOSED 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 AND FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON AIRPORTS ARE NOW
CLOSED. FLORIDA KEYS UTILITY OFFICIALS REPORTED ABOUT 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 1200
PM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH...WITH
GUSTS OF 60 TO 80 MPH OR MORE...ON THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST EDGE OF
KATRINA'S CORE...WILL AFFECT THE FLORIDA KEYS...ESPECIALLY THE LOWER
KEYS AND KEY WEST. A NOAA SHIP ANCHORED IN KEY WEST HARBOR REPORTED
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 59 MPH WITH A GUST TO 86 MPH IN STRONG SQUALLS
BETWEEN 1000 AM AND 1100 AM. IN ADDITION...A WIND GUST OF 67 MPH WAS
RECORDED AT BOTH KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND BOCA CHICA NAVAL
AIR STATION.

...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 WIND
DIRECTION TODAY WILL SEE SPEEDS OF 40 TO 60 KNOTS OR MORE OVER MOST
WATERS ADJOINING THE FLORIDA KEYS...WITH GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS OR MORE.
SEAS WILL REACH 6 TO 12 FEET OR HIGHER IN OPEN WATERS...WHILE BAY
AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL BE EXTREMELY ROUGH. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES MAY RUN UP TO 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL...WITH MINOR FLOODING
OF DOCKS AND SOUTH-FACING COASTAL STREETS TODAY...INCLUDING SOUTH
ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD IN KEY WEST.

...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 8 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 130 PM 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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