[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 230308
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-230630-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1130 PM EDT SAT OCT 22 2005

...A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...MANDATORY EVACUATION IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
WATCHES AND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS UPDATED.
STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS UPDATED.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA
KEYS....INCLUDING DRY TORTUGAS AND FLORIDA BAY...AND ALL SURROUNDING
WATERS. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO
COMPLETION.


...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.9 WEST...ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH OF
CANCUN MEXICO. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 375 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST
OF KEY WEST. WILMA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTH NEAR 3 MPH. A TURN
TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST AT A FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON
SUNDAY. THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER AWAY FROM THE YUCATAN
PENINSULA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE
NEAR 100 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE.
SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND WILMA
COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE AGAIN ON SUNDAY. 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 ACROSS THE
FLORIDA 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 THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
THE LAST GREYHOUND BUS WILL LEAVE SUNDAY MORNING AT 845 AM.
MUNICIPAL BUS SERVICE IS AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE
TRANSPORTATION. J G T WILL CONTINUE THEIR REGULARLY SCHEDULED ROUTES
AND PICK UP EVACUEES TO FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY...FROM
MARATHON TO KEY LARGO. J G T WILL PROVIDE ONE FINAL BUS TO PICK UP
EVACUEES AT 9 AM SUNDAY MORNING FROM THE SEARSTOWN SHOPPING CENTER
IN KEY WEST. THIS BUS WILL STOP TO PICK UP EVACUEES ALONG THE OCEAN
SIDE OF U.S. ONE WHO SIGNAL THE DRIVER. ONCE EVACUEES ARRIVE IN
MARATHON THEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER BUS AND TAKEN TO THE
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY SHELTER IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY. FOR
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 SUNDAY 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...
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE FLORIDA KEYS AND FLORIDA BAY...WITH NEAR 8 FEET ON THE BAYSIDE
IN THE TAVERNIER AND KEY LARGO AREA. HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR MONDAY AT
230 AM IN KEY WEST...123 AM AT VACA CUT...208 AM AT WHALE
HARBOR...AND 217 AM THE TAVERNIER CREEK HIGHWAY ONE BRIDGE IN
TAVERNIER.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOS...EMBEDDED IN RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE
WILMA...ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...WITH THE MOST
LIKELY TIME OF OCCURRENCE 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 230
AM...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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