[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 082307 CCA
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-090130-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
700 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2005

...THE EVACUATION HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY MONROE COUNTY OFFICIALS...
...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY AND REMAIN UNTIL STORM PASSAGE...
...TORNADO WATCH ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 500 AM...
...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS..
...A HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE IN EFFECT FOR
THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY...
...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED HEADLINES.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE
COUNTY...INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS WEST OF THE
SEVEN MILE BRIDGE. A HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE
IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY. A
HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS...WINDS OF 74 MPH
OR GREATER...ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 700 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 22.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.4 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 130 MILES
SOUTH OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. DENNIS IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. WHILE SOME WEAKENING WILL CONTINUE OVER CUBA...DENNIS IS
EXPECTED TO ENTER THE FLORIDA STRAITS AS A MAJOR HURRICANE. DENNIS
IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...AND ON THIS COURSE THE
CENTER SHOULD MOVE OFF THE NORTH CENTRAL COAST OF CUBA INTO THE
FLORIDA STRAITS THIS EVENING. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS
ESTIMATED AT 952 MB...OR 28.11 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THERE IS NO LONGER SUFFICIENT TIME TO EVACUATE FROM THE LOWER KEYS.
THE EVACUATION HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED BY MONROE COUNTY OFFICIALS.
SEEK SAFE REFUGE AND SHELTER IN PLACE FOR THE DURATION OF THE
HURRICANE. FOR EMERGENCY INFORMATION CALL THE MONROE COUNTY
EMERGENCY HOTLINE AT 800-955-5504. THE MONROE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
CENTER IS CURRENTLY FULLY ACTIVATED AND A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY
IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MONROE COUNTY. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT IS CLOSED. GREYHOUND BUSLINES ARE NO LONGER RUNNING BUSES
OUT OF THE KEYS. LOWER KEYS MEDICAL CENTER IS CLOSED. ALL RESIDENTS
SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR FUTURE MEDIA REPORTS AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT BULLETINS FOR FURTHER PROTECTIVE ACTIONS AND OTHER
INFORMATION.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM SURGE THROUGH THE LOWER KEYS WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 65
FEET...WITH 1 TO 3 FEET OF SURGE EXPECTED IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
KEYS. STORM TIDES WILL REACH MAXIMUM VALUES DURING THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS SATURDAY. THE GREATEST RISK FOR STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL
OCCUR ALONG SOUTH AND EAST FACING PORTIONS OF EACH ISLAND.

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE LOWER KEYS THIS EVENING.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOW IMPACTING THE KEYS. THE STRONGEST
WINDS WILL LIKELY OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE KEYS LATE THIS EVENING
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL STORM PASSAGE. TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOW IMPACTING THE FLORIDA STRAITS. IT IS NOT
SAFE TO BE AT SEA...DO NOT LEAVE PORT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL
OCCUR TONIGHT IN THE LOWER KEYS.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
THE FLORIDA KEYS CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE 4 TO 8 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN
ASSOCIATION WITH HURRICANE DENNIS...EXCEPT LOCALLY UP TO 10 INCHES
POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER KEYS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 500 AM.
A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADO
DEVELOPMENT IN THE WATCH AREA...ESPECIALLY IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF
THE HURRICANE. IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED OR DETECTED ON RADAR A
TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE DENNIS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 930 PM EDT THIS EVENING...OR WHEN
NEW INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

FELTGEN/DEVANAS
















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