[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 291147
HLSTAE

GMZ750-FLZ008-012-014-291530-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
742 AM EDT MON AUG 29 2005

...LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA MAKING LANDFALL
OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANAN...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE PANHANDLE COAST FROM
DESTIN EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...COASTAL
WALTON...BAY...AND GULF COUNTIES.

...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION...
...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF DESTIN TO
INDIAN PASS IN GULF COUNTY FLORIDA. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 6 AM CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 200 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST
OF DESTIN FLORIDA. KATRINA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 15 MPH...
AND THIS MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. HIGHEST SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE NEAR 145 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS A STRONG
CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. SOME
FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY PRIOR TO LANDFALL. KATRINA
REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES.

...PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD NOW BE PREPARED FOR TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS...HAVING SECURED LOOSE ITEMS SUCH AS GARBAGE CANS
AND PATIO FURNITURE...AND TAKEN APPROPRIATE STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST
COASTAL FLOODING. LOW LYING AREAS WILL BE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO
COASTAL FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE THE PROTECTIVE DUNES
HAVE BEEN WASHED AWAY BY PREVIOUS STORMS. MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE
BEEN ORDERED FOR CAPE SAN BLAS IN GULF COUNTY...AND ST GEORGE AND
DOG ISLANDS...ALLIGATOR POINT...AND ALL LOW LYING AREAS SUBJECT TO
COASTAL FLOODING IN FRANKLIN COUNTY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE TODAY AS LARGE SWELLS EMANATE FROM THE LARGE
AND POWERFUL KATRINA. WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
IN WALTON COUNTY REPORTED WAVES IN THE SURF ZONE OF AROUND 10 FEET
AND WINDS AT THE HIGHWAY 331 BRIDGE AT 21 MPH...AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
FROM BAY COUNTY ESTIMATED THE SURF AT 8 TO 10 FEET AND THE TIDE AT 2
1/2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THIS HAS CAUSED MUCH OF THE REPLACEMENT SAND
FOR HURRICANE DENNIS TO BE WASHED AWAY...ALLOWING SOME WATER TO WASH
UNDERNEATH SOME OF THE HOUSES IN WALTON COUNTY. HIGH SURF AT GULF
COUNTY HAS WASHED ROCKS OVER SOME OF THE ROADS AT CAPE SAN BLAS.
REPORTS FROM THE NORTHEAST GULF BUOYS CONTINUE TO SHOW HIGH
SWELLS...WITH 17 FEET SWELLS FROM THE SOUTH BEING REPORTED AT THE
BUOY 90 MILES SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY. THIS LARGE SWELL WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN HIGHER SURF ALONG THE COAST. THIS WAVE ACTION...COUPLED
WITH STRONG ONSHORE FLOW MAY PRODUCE TIDES OF 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL...ESPECIALLY AT HIGH TIDE THIS MORNING. THESE ABOVE NORMAL
TIDES AND HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND COASTAL
FLOODING TODAY...ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. THE BEACHES OF
WALTON COUNTY ARE CLOSED. THE FOLLOWING ARE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE FOR
SELECTED LOCATIONS...

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT 6 AM CDT WINDS ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST WERE GENERALLY OUT OF
THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH. THE WIND
AT APALACHICOLA WERE 24 KTS GUSTING TO 31 KTS...AT PANAMA CITY 15
KTS GUSTING TO 23 KTS. THE PANAMA CITY BUOY WAS SOUTHEAST AT 33
GUSTING TO 45 KNOTS. EVEN THOUGH KATRINA WAS MAKING LANDFALL OVER
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AT THIS TIME...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN
PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TODAY...MAINLY IN SOME OF THE
HEAVIER RAIN BANDS NEAR THE COAST. SUCH WINDS TYPICALLY CAUSE
SEVERAL DOWNED TREE BRANCHES...A FEW DOWNED POWER LINES AND POWER
OUTAGES...TIPPED OVER GARBAGE CANS AND PATIO FURNITURE...AND A FEW
UPROOTED TREES. THESE WINDS WILL PROBABLY PEAK BY LATE MORNING...
THEN SUBSIDE BY LATE AFTERNOON AS KATRINA ACCELERATES INLAND AND
WEAKENS.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL...
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL FROM TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY IS EXPECTED TO
RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS OCCURRING FARTHER
WEST. WHILE WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED...LOCALIZED FLOODING
IS POSSIBLE IF HEAVY RAIN BANDS SET UP OVER A PARTICULAR LOCATION.

...TORNADO THREAT...
SO FAR NO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ACROSS THE EASTERN
PANHANDLE. HOWEVER...ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY...
ESPECIALLY LATER THIS MORNING IF THERE ARE BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS AND
HEATING OCCURS.

...RIP CURRENTS...
ALONG WITH THE HIGH SURF THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS TODAY. EVERYONE...INCLUDING EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS...SHOULD
STAY OUT OF THE SURF.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 1030 AM CDT.

24-BLOCK
$$

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