[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 230017
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-230330-

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

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

...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...
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 800 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.0 WEST...ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH
NORTHWEST OF CANCUN MEXICO. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 390 MILES
WEST SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTH NEAR 3
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...AND WILMA COULD REGAIN CATEGORY THREE STATUS DURING THE NEXT
24 HOURS. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 959 MB...OR
28.32 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...AND AT 6 PM
ACROSS THE UPPER KEYS. 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 INTERNATIONAL 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 MORNING. DRIVERS SHOULD USE EXTRA CARE IN
DRIVING OVER BRIDGES. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
ARRIVE IN THE KEYS LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
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 1130
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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