[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 090700
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-090930-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
300 AM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005

...REMAIN IN SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED...
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 900 AM...
...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS...
...HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION
UPDATED CURRENT WIND INFORMATION
UPDATED CURRENT STORM TIDE INFORMATION

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS 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.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 300 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.6 WEST...ABOUT 90 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. DENNIS IS A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE...AND IS EXPECTED TO RE-STRENGTHEN INTO A MAJOR
HURRICANE AS IT MOVES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. DENNIS
IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. THIS MOTION SHOULD
CONTINUE TO MOVE DENNIS AWAY FROM CUBA AND WEST OF THE DRY TORTUGAS
LATER THIS MORNING. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS ESTIMATED AT
973 MB...OR 28.73 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REMAIN IN A SAFE LOCATION FOR THE DURATION OF THE HURRICANE. THREE
REFUGES OF LAST RESORT ARE OPEN. THEY ARE LOCATED AT KEY WEST HIGH
SCHOOL IN KEY WEST...STANLEY SWITLICK SCHOOL IN MARATHON...AND CORAL
SHORES HIGH SCHOOL AT MILE MARKER 90. NO SUPPLIES ARE AVAILABLE AT
THE REFUGES. FOR EMERGENCY INFORMATION CALL THE MONROE COUNTY
EMERGENCY HOTLINE AT 800-955-5504. THE MONROE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
CENTER IS FULLY ACTIVATED AND A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IS IN
EFFECT FOR ALL OF MONROE COUNTY. KEY WEST AND MARATHON AIRPORTS...AS
WELL AS THE LOWER KEYS MEDICAL CENTER REMAIN CLOSED. THERE ARE NO
FIRE OR RESCUE SERVICES FROM STOCK ISLAND THROUGH MARATHON. 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...
WATER LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY ONE AND A HALF FEET ABOVE NORMAL AT KEY
WEST. STORM SURGE...WHICH IS THE INCREASE IN WATER LEVEL ABOVE
NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDE LEVELS...IN THE LOWER KEYS WILL RANGE FROM
3 TO 4 FEET...WITH AROUND 2 FEET OF STORM SURGE EXPECTED IN THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. DRY TORTUGAS MAY EXPERIENCE STORM SURGE UP TO
6 FEET. STORM TIDES WILL REACH MAXIMUM VALUES DURING THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS. WATER LEVELS MAY REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH THE NEXT
HIGH TIDE AROUND NOON TODAY. THE GREATEST RISK FOR STORM SURGE
FLOODING WILL OCCUR ALONG SOUTH AND EAST FACING PORTIONS OF EACH
ISLAND.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS IN THE LOWER KEYS ARE CURRENTLY SUSTAINED AROUND 50 MPH WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO OVER 65 MPH. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
RECENTLY RECORDED WIND GUSTS TO 71 MPH...AND A TRAINED SPOTTER ON
CUDJOE KEY REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 61 MPH. THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE AND
UPPER KEYS...SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE BEEN 35 TO 40 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL
GUSTS TO TO AROUND 55 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY BECOME MORE
SOUTHEASTERLY...WITH GUSTS TO NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...ESPECIALLY IN
THE LOWER KEYS. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH AFTER SUNRISE...BUT
WILL REMAIN AT TROPICAL STORM FORCE THROUGH MIDDAY. EXPECT SCATTERED
POWER OUTAGES AND DAMAGE TO TREES TO OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE KEYS
THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL STORM PASSAGE. TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS OF 45 TO 55 KNOTS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO AROUND
70 KNOTS ARE CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE STRAITS ALONG THE FLORIDA KEYS.
SOMBRERO KEY LIGHT RECENTLY REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 74 KNOTS.
HURRICANE FORCE SUSTAINED WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER THE
STRAITS SOUTH OF THE LOWER KEYS AND WEST THROUGH DRY
TORTUGAS...ALONG WITH SEAS BUILDING UP TO 18 FEET.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
RAINFALL SO FAR THROUGHOUT THE KEYS HAS AVERAGED FROM ONE TO ONE AND
A HALF INCHES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED
THROUGHOUT THE KEYS...EXCEPT LOCALLY UP TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE
LOWER KEYS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 900 AM
THIS MORNING. 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 330 AM EDT THIS MORNING...OR
WHEN NEW INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

RIZZO/FUTTERMAN





































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