[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 222125
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-230030-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
530 PM EDT SAT OCT 22 2005

...HURRICANE WATCH IN EFFECT...
...MANDATORY EVACUATION IN EFFECT...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
NEW WATCHES ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY AND ALL SURROUNDING WATERS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS.


...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.1 WEST...ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST
OF CANCUN MEXICO. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 405 MILES WEST
SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTH NEAR 2 MPH.
A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF
MEXICO IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
WERE NEAR 100 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA WAS A CATEGORY TWO
HURRICANE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 957 MB...OR 28.26 INCHES
OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A PHASED MANDATORY EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS BEGAN TODAY AT 12 PM
ACROSS THE LOWER AND AT 3 PM ACROSS THE MIDDLE KEYS. IT WILL BEGIN
AT 600 PM THIS EVENING ACROSS THE UPPER KEYS FROM LONG KEY TO OCEAN
REEF. THE SHELTER AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS OPEN...JUST
FOLLOW THE SIGNS. THERE WILL BE NO SHELTERS OPEN IN THE KEYS. THE
AUTHORITIES RECOMMEND THAT YOU SEEK SHELTER NORTH OF ORLANDO IF YOU
CHOOSE NOT TO STAY AT THE DESIGNATED SHELTER. THE DRAWBRIDGES AT
SNAKE CREEK AND JEWFISH CREEK ARE LOCKED DOWN. TOLLS ON CARD SOUND
ROAD AND THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. KEY WEST AIRPORT
HAS CLOSED. GREYHOUND BUS SERVICE AT THE KEY WEST AIRPORT TERMINAL
WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING. THE LAST BUS WILL LEAVE TOMORROW MORNING
AT 845 AM. MUNICIPAL BUS SERVICE IS AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS WHO DO
NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION. FOR DETAILS...YOU MAY CALL THE COUNTY
EMERGENCY HOTLINE 1-800-955-5504...OR IN KEY WEST CALL THE CITY
HOTLINE AT 305-809-1108.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL OVERNIGHT. SHOWERS WITH WIND GUSTS
OVER 35 MPH ARE LIKELY BY SUNDAY MORNING. DRIVERS SHOULD USE EXTRA
CARE IN DRIVING OVER BRIDGES. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE KEYS LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. HURRICANE
FORCE ARE POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. AS THE STORM APPROACHES...WIND
DIRECTION WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHEAST INITIALLY. THE MAXIMUM WINDS
WILL COME FROM THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. VESSELS SHOULD BE TIED OFF
WITH THIS IN MIND.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
OUR GUIDANCE PREDICTS A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET EARLY MONDAY
MORNING. HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR MONDAY AT 230 AM IN KEY WEST...123 AM
AT VACA CUT...AND 208 AM AT WHALE HARBOR.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOS...EMBEDDED IN RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE
WILMA...ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON.

...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 830
PM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

FUTTERMAN



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