[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 221245
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-221530-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
845 AM EDT SAT OCT 22 2005

...MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR MANDATORY
EVACUATION FOR FLORIDA KEYS RESIDENTS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
RAINFALL IMPACTS HAVE 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. A
HURRICANE WATCH WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED LATER TODAY. A HURRICANE WATCH
MEANS HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.0 WEST...ABOUT 415 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA WAS DRIFTING NORTHWARD...WHICH MOVEMENT
SHOULD CONTINUE TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 120 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE...AND SOME
ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS LIKELY WHILE WILMA IS OVER LAND. THE
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 943 MB...OR 27.85 INCHES OF
MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A PHASED MANDATORY EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS BEGINS AT NOON TODAY
STARTING WITH THE LOWER KEYS. AT 300 PM THE MIDDLE KEYS WILL
GO...AND FINALLY AT 600 PM THE UPPER KEYS. THE SHELTER AT FLORIDA
INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS OPEN. THERE WILL BE NO SHELTERS OPEN IN
THE KEYS. THOSE EVACUATING ARE URGED TO SEEK SHELTER NORTH OF
ORLANDO IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO STAY AT THE DESIGNATED SHELTER. THE
DRAWBRIDGES AT SNAKE CREEK AND JEWFISH CREEK WILL OPEN FOR VESSELS
EVERY HALF HOUR...BUT THESE BRIDGES WILL BE LOCKED DOWN AT NOON
TODAY. TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD AND THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE HAVE BEEN
SUSPENDED. KEY WEST AIRPORT AND GREYHOUND BUSES REMAIN OPERATIONAL
AT THIS TIME. THERE IS A BUS SERVICE TO TAKE EVACUEES WITHOUT
TRANSPORTATION TO THE FIU SHELTER. FOR INFORMATION ON THIS BUS
SERVICE CALL THE MONROE COUNTY HOTLINE AT 1-800-955-5504...OR IF IN
KEY WEST CALL THE CITY INFORMATION LINE AT 305-809-1108.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL THROUGH TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY.
SHOWERS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 35 MPH BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON WILL REQUIRE
EXTRA CARE IN DRIVING OVER BRIDGES. WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE OR
HURRICANE FORCE ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
OPERATORS OF SMALL CRAFT SHOULD USE CAUTION. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES
MAY BE REQUIRED BY LATE TONIGHT.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAINS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MONDAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1130
AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

CB/DFM

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