[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 100304
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-100530-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1100 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005


...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS...
...TORNADO WATCH DISCONTINUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...FLOOD WATCH EXTENDED FOR THE LOWER KEYS TO 5 AM...


...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED HEADLINES.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED STORM TIDE IMPACTS.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY ACTIONS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED TORNADO IMPACTS.
UPDATED RAINFALL IMPACTS.


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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS WEST OF THE
SEVEN MILE BRIDGE.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST...OR ABOUT 260 MILES
NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT OR SUNDAY...AND DENNIS MAY BECOME AN
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL
ON THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SUNDAY. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST
EXPECTED TONIGHT OR SUNDAY. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS
MEASURED AT 941 MB...OR 27.79 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE STORM SURGE HAS RECEDED. HOWEVER...EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE
EXERCISED ON THOSE STREETS THAT WERE INUNDATED BY STORM SURGE. WIND
DRIVEN WAVES AND SPRAY WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE SOUTH FACE OF THE
ISLANDS...ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER KEYS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED NOT TO VENTURE OUT ONTO THE STREETS TONIGHT.
THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY FROM FLORIDA CITY TO KEY WEST IS IN GOOD SHAPE
WITHOUT DAMAGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT EVACUEES DELAY THEIR RETURN
TO THE KEYS UNTIL SUNDAY MORNING...WHILE CREWS COMPLETE THEIR WORK
ON DEBRIS REMOVAL...AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IMPROVE. MARATHON
AIRPORT SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL SUNDAY...BUT KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL MONDAY AT THE EARLIEST. ELECTRICAL
SERVICE TO MOST CUSTOMERS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE FULLY RESTORED
BY SUNDAY NIGHT. NO PROBLEMS ARE REPORTED WITH THE FRESHWATER
PIPELINE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS IN THE LOWER KEYS ARE CURRENTLY SUSTAINED AT 30 MPH WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 45 MPH. WINDS OVER THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS ARE
NEAR 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. WINDS WILL SLOWLY DECREASE TONIGHT
AND SUNDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WIND AND SEAS SUBSIDE.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 KNOTS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50
KNOTS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE WESTERN STRAITS AND THE SOUTHEAST
GULF WATERS TONIGHT.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS
TODAY...MAINLY OVER THE LOWER KEYS. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF
RAIN IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT IN THE LOWER KEYS. THE FLOOD WATCH FOR
THE LOWER KEYS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 5AM.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE TORNADO WATCH FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS HAS EXPIRED AND IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS OVERNIGHT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES TO
DEVELOP IN SQUALLS OVER THE LOWER KEYS AND SURROUNDING WATERS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE DENNIS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 130 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING
...OR WHEN NEW INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

FELTGEN











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