[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 261810
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-262130-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
210 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING WEST ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO JUST
NORTHEAST OF THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY AND THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM BIG PINE
KEY TO KEY WEST...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL SATURDAY
MORNING...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
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 LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM BIG PINE KEY TO KEY WEST UNTIL 300 PM
EDT. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS CONTINUING
UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 200 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.6 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 55 MILES
WEST-NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST...OR ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT
JEFFERSON IN THE DRY TORTUGAS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 7 MPH...AND
THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. KATRINA
IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING
THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND KATRINA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY THREE OR
MAJOR HURRICANE ON SATURDAY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE
WAS 969 MB...OR 28.61 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE CAUTIONED RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO
REMAIN INDOORS TODAY. 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 REMAIN CLOSED. FLORIDA KEYS UTILITY
OFFICIALS REPORTED ABOUT 9600 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER. CREWS WILL
ASSESS CONDITIONS AND BEGIN TO MAKE REPAIRS WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO
SO. 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 FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY OVER THE LOWER AND MIDDLE KEYS. THROUGH 300
PM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH-
SOUTHEAST...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 MPH OR MORE...ON THE SOUTHEAST
EDGE OF KATRINA'S CORE...WILL AFFECT THE FLORIDA KEYS...ESPECIALLY
THE LOWER KEYS AND KEY WEST. AN AUTOMATED PLATFORM AT SAND KEY OFF
KEY WEST REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 76 MPH AT 1215 PM...AND KEY WEST
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 69 MPH AT 129 PM. AN
AUTOMATED PLATFORM AT DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK REPORTED A WIND
GUST OF 66 MPH AT 1259 PM.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH PROBABLY SUNDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE GULF
OF MEXICO WATERS NORTH OF THE 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 8
TO 15 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 LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM BIG
PINE KEY TO KEY WEST...UNTIL 300 PM EDT. WIDESPREAD STREET AND
PARKING LOT FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN ISLAND COMMUNITIES ACROSS
THE LOWER KEYS. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES AND STORM SPOTTER REPORTS
INDICATE 4 TO 8 INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS ACCUMULATED SINCE 800 AM...
AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY BY
300 PM IN THE WARNING AREA...AS MULTIPLE PASSING RAIN BANDS WITH
HEAVY DOWNPOURS SWEEP OVER THE KEYS. SINCE 100 AM...7.55 INCHES OF
RAINFALL HAS BEEN RECORDED AT KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
MAKING TODAY THE THIRD WETTEST CALENDAR DAY SINCE 1960...AND THE
10TH WETTEST CALENDAR DAY SINCE WEATHER BUREAU RECORDS BEGAN IN KEY
WEST BACK IN 1871. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE
KEYS THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 530 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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