[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KBMX 291117
HLSBMX
ALZ011>015-017-022>025-030>035-039>044-291400-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
616 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA TO BRING HIGH WINDS...HEAVY RAINS...
AND THREAT OF TORNADOES TO CENTRAL ALABAMA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT PERTAINS TO ALL CENTRAL ALABAMA COUNTIES SERVICED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES ALONG
AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 FROM 8 AM MONDAY TO 4 PM TUESDAY.

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES EAST OF INTERSTATE 65
FROM 1 PM MONDAY UNTIL 4 PM TUESDAY.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM FROM 4 PM MONDAY THROUGH 7 PM
CDT TUESDAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 6 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 29.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT MIDWAY
BETWEEN GRAND ISLE AND THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS IS
ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MONTGOMERY...AND 350 MILES SOUTH-
SOUTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY
REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 918
MB...27.11 INCHES.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 15 MPH... AND THIS
MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED
LATER TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...KATRINA WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND UP TO 120 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND UP TO 230 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THEIR
NECESSARY PREPARATION PLANS. HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS CAN BE
EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA STARTING THIS MORNING.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES ARE ANTICIPATED WITH THE CURRENT
FORECAST TRACK OF KATRINA...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN COUNTIES
OF SUMTER...GREENE...HALE...MARENGO...PICKENS...TUSCALOOSA...
FAYETTE...LAMAR...AND MARION. IF THE POWER OUTAGES LAST FOR ANY
DURATION AND A GENERATOR IS NECESSARY...PLEASE REMEMBER THAT
GENERATOR USE INDOORS CAN BE DEADLY DUE TO THE CARBON MONOXIDE GAS
PRODUCED. GENERATORS SHOULD NOT BE USED INDOORS...BUT IF NO
ALTERNATIVE EXISTS...USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OPERATING GENERATORS
INDOORS AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE VENTILATION FOR THE MACHINE.

SECURE ALL LOOSE OBJECTS...SUCH AS PATIO FURNITURE AND TRASH
CANS...OR MOVE THEM INDOORS. BRING YOUR PETS INDOORS. FLOODING...
ESPECIALLY FLASH FLOODING...WILL BE A PROBLEM DUE TO THE VERY
HEAVY RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH KATRINA. FLOODING CAN BE
ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT...WHERE WATER CAN QUICKLY FLOOD
ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...VISIBILITIES ARE
LIMITED IN THE DARK. DO NOT TRY TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS...TURN
AROUND...DON'T DROWN.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH THE DAY
TODAY...BEGINNING IN THE SOUTH AND SPREADING NORTHWARD.  THE
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST STRENGTH BETWEEN 6 PM
TODAY AND 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING.

THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE HURRICANE
TRACK...AFFECTING AREAS NEAR THE ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE
WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 TO 60 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO NEAR HURRICANE
FORCE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL EXTEND AS FAR EAST AS
INTERSTATE 65...WHERE WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH A
FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. LOCATIONS EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 CAN
EXPECT WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

WINDS AT THESE SPEEDS...IN COMBINATION OF SATURATED SOILS...CAN
TOPPLE NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES...CAUSING POWER OUTAGES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF HURRICANE KATRINA...3 TO 6
INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 8 INCHES...ARE
POSSIBLE WEST OF INTERSTATE 65...WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED EAST OF
INTERSTATE 65.

RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE PAST MONTH HAS LED TO
SATURATED GROUND CONDITIONS...AND ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF AND POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING.

WITH ABOVE NORMAL RIVER FLOW IN MANY LOCATIONS...HEAVY RAINFALL FROM
KATRINA WILL AGGRAVATE RIVER CONDITIONS.  RIVER FLOODING IS LIKELY TO
BECOME A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM BY TUESDAY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS
FLOODING WILL LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WATER
BEGINS RISING TO MAKE PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.
EVACUATIONS FROM LOWLANDS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE DUE TO DOWNED TREES AND
POWERLINES AND RAPIDLY RISING WATER. PREPARATIONS SHOULD HAVE
ALREADY BEEN BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETION.

...TORNADO THREAT...
AS RAIN BANDS ROTATE NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA EARLY MONDAY...
THEY WILL BRING THE THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES TO THE AREA.  THE
THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL BE ENHANCED LATER TODAY...WHEN DAYTIME
HEATING WILL PROVIDE ADDED INSTABILITY AND LIFT TO SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL EXTEND INTO TONIGHT...AND
POSSIBLY INTO EARLY TUESDAY.

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...
THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SET UP A HOT LINE
FOR ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION IN SOUTH ALABAMA.  THE ACCESS NUMBER
IS 1-888-588-2848.  THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE
DEPARTMENT'S WEB SITE...AT HTTP://WWW.DOT.STATE.AL.US/.

TO REPORT DOWN POWER LINES TO PLEASE CALL ALABAMA POWER AT 800-888-
2726.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...OR DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE KATRINA...CALL
OUR STORM REPORTING HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED BY 9 AM CDT.

&&

$$

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