[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 211824
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-212130-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
220 PM EDT FRI OCT 21 2005

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WATCHES ARE NOT YET IN EFFECT. WATCHES
WILL BE ISSUED WHEN TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 200 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 20.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.7 WEST...ABOUT 430 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 5
MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 140 MPH...MAKING WILMA A
CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE. FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY TODAY.
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 926 MB...OR 27.34 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT HOMES AND
BUSINESSES. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS VOLUNTARILY TO
EVACUATE. THE SHELTER AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS OPEN.
THE DECISION ON WHEN TO INITIATE A PHASED MANDATORY EVACUATION CAN
ONLY BE MADE ONCE SOLID INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE TIMING OF
WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE. MEANWHILE THE BRIDGES AT SNAKE CREEK
AND JEWFISH CREEK WILL OPEN FOR VESSELS EVERY HALF HOUR. TOLLS ON
CARD SOUND ROAD HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. GOVERNMENT OFFICES SCHOOLS AND
PARKS ARE CLOSED TODAY. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...GREYHOUND
BUS SERVICE...AND JGT BUS SERVICE ARE FULLY OPERATIONAL. IF YOU NEED
TRANSPORTATION CHECK WITH THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY HOTLINE AT
1-800-955-5504...OR THE CITY OF KEY WEST HOTLINE AT 305-809-1108.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WINDS OF
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT OR EARLY
MONDAY MORNING. WINDS OF HURRICANE FORCE ARE POSSIBLE THEREAFTER.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
OPERATORS OF SMALL CRAFT SHOULD USE CAUTION. CONDITIONS MERITING A
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY SET IN SATURDAY NIGHT.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
WE ANTICIPATE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES THROUGH SUNDAY.
ADDITIONAL HEAVIER RAINFALL WILL OCCUR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY BASED
ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF WILMA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 530
PM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

DFM

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