[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 091345 CCA
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-870-
873-876-091530-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
930 AM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005

...HURRICANE DENNIS REGAINING STRENGTH...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE
COUNTY NORTHWARD TO SUWANNEE RIVER IN LEVY COUNTY...
...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 627 IS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE...
CITRUS...DE SOTO...HARDEE...HERNANDO...HIGHLANDS...HILLSBOROUGH...
LEE...LEVY...MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...SARASOTA AND SUMTER
COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM...

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE DENNIS IS REGAINING STRENGTH OVER THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF
MEXICO. STRONG RAINBANDS ARE MOVING ACROSS THE REGION WITH HEAVY
RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
CITRUS...CHARLOTTE...DE SOTO...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...
LEVY...MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...SARASOTA...HARDEE...
HIGHLANDS...POLK...SUMTER...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH TO
TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE...CITRUS...DE SOTO...
HARDEE...HERNANDO...HIGHLANDS...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...LEVY...
MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...SARASOTA AND SUMTER COUNTIES
UNTIL 4 PM

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 9 AM EDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE  83.5 WEST OR ABOUT 185 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF NAPLES. THIS IS POSITION ALSO ABOUT 250 MILES SOUTH-
SOUTHWEST OF TAMPA FLORIDA.

DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME
FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED TODAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE PRIMARY AREA FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IN TROPICAL SYSTEMS IS THE
RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE STORM. AS DENNIS MOVES OVER THE GULF OF
MEXICO TODAY THE REGION WILL REMAIN IN THAT PORTION OF THE
STORM WITH A TORNADO THREAT CONTINUING THOUGH THE DAY.

BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN BRADENTON...THE PORT
OF TAMPA AND ST PETERSBURG EARLIER THIS MORNING. REMAIN ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLE TORNADO WARNINGS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
DENNIS WILL MOVE NORTHWEST ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO
TODAY INTO SUNDAY PRODUCING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OVER
THE COASTAL WATERS...WITH GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE POSSIBLE OVER THE
OUTER WATERS.  TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL SPREAD OVER
COASTAL AREAS OF LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTIES
THROUGH NOON...OVER THE TAMPA BAY AREA BY EARLY EVENING...AND THE
NATURE COAST BY MIDNIGHT. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR ALONG THE
IMMEDIATE COAST.

SEVERAL STRONG RAINBANDS ARE MOVING NORTH ACROSS THE AREA WITH WIND
GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS INCLUDING
INLAND LOCATIONS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AS DENNIS MOVES NORTHWESTWARD WINDS WILL BECOME ONSHORE THIS
AFTERNOON AND WATER LEVELS WILL BEGIN TO RISE LATER TODAY. WATER
LEVELS ARE EXPECT TO RISE 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THE TIMING OF
THE PEAK WATER LEVELS WILL BE IN THE EVENING FOR FORT MYERS...AROUND
MIDNIGHT FOR TAMPA BAY...AND AROUND 3 AM FOR CEDAR KEY. THE HIGHEST
WATER WILL BE ON SOUTH FACING EXPOSURES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CURRENT FORECAST MOVEMENT OF DENNIS WILL BRING OCCASIONAL BANDS
OF TORRENTIAL RAIN...BECOMING MOST FREQUENT THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS THE CENTER PASSES BY. ADDITIONAL DOWNPOURS WILL OCCUR
SUNDAY AS A FINAL BROAD FEEDER BAND PASSES THROUGH.

STORM TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 5 TO 10 INCHES FROM LEE COUNTY TO
PINELLAS COUNTY...AND 4 TO 8 INCHES FURTHER NORTH AND INLAND OVER
SUMTER...POLK AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES. SEVERAL RIVERS IN CENTRAL
FLORIDA REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE FLOOD STAGE...AND ANY ADDITIONAL RAINS
WILL PERPETUATE FLOODING IN THESE AREAS.

AS OF 930 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR RAINFALL
ESTIMATES INDICATE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 6 TO 8 INCHES IN THE PORT
CHARLOTTE AREA...4 TO 6 INCHES NEAR SARASOTA...AND 2 TO 4 INCHES IN
THE TAMPA BAY AREA.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO BUILD TO 12 TO 14 FEET NEAR SHORE AND 15 TO 18
FEET WELL OFFSHORE. LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED
ALONG AREA BEACHES WITH BREAKING WAVES OF 6 TO 8 FEET PRODUCING
DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND MODERATE BEACH EROSION. MARINERS AND
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE.

SUNDAY WILL SEE IMPROVING WEATHER CONDITIONS...HOWEVER...RESIDUAL
WAVES OF 4 TO 6 FEET WILL CAUSE STRONG RIP CURRENTS AND BEACH
EROSION. IF VISITING THE BEACH HEED THE ADVICE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS AND
BEACH PATROL.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 1100 AND 1130 AM OR EARLIER SHOULD
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

$$

SANDRIK

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