[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 230451
HLSTAE

FLZ034-230745-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1149 PM EDT SAT OCT 22 2005

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE STEINHATCHEE
RIVER SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING INLAND DIXIE COUNTY...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BIG BEND...PARTICULARLY DIXIE COUNTY.

...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER
SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING INLAND DIXIE COUNTY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.9 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH OF
CANCUN MEXICO. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 375 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF KEY
WEST FLORIDA. WILMA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 3 MPH. WILMA
WILL BE MOVING AWAY FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA AND OUT OVER THE
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.
WILMA IS EXPECTED TO TURN TO THE NORTHEAST AND PICK UP SPEED ON
SUNDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 100 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS...MAKING WILMA A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE.

...PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
EVEN THOUGH WILMA IS CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL WELL TO THE
SOUTH OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...WILMA HAS A LARGE WIND FIELD...
WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS EXTENDING AS MUCH AS 200
MILES FROM THE CENTER. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH
COULD BE FELT ACROSS DIXIE COUNTY...AS WILMA MAKES LANDFALL.

RESIDENTS IN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA SHOULD MAKE
PREPARATIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...BY SECURING LOOSE
ITEMS SUCH AS TRASH CANS...LAWN AND DECK FURNITURE...AND ANY OTHER
LOOSE OR LIGHTWEIGHT OBJECTS THAT COULD BE PICKED UP AND BLOWN AROUND
SHOULD TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AFFECT THE AREA.

THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF HURRICANE
WILMA AS WELL AS THE TIMING OF LANDFALL. THEREFORE...RESIDENTS ACROSS
THE SOUTHEAST BIG BEND SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST
ADVISORIES FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...AND STATEMENTS FROM
YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
A STORM SURGE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME ALONG THE DIXIE COUNTY
COAST...AS ANY TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE
PRIMARILY OFFSHORE WINDS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
IMPACTS FROM TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN THE WARNED AREA WOULD BE
PRIMARILY FROM DOWNED TREES AND TREE LIMBS...WHICH COULD CAUSE
SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES AND ROAD HAZARDS...AND ALSO DAMAGE TO
STRUCTURES ON WHICH THEY FALL. MINOR WIND DAMAGE COULD ALSO OCCUR TO
OLDER MOBILE HOMES...AND NEWLY PLANTED TREES AND SHRUBS COULD BE
UPROOTED IF NOT SECURED.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL...
BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTED RAPID MOVEMENT OF HURRICANE WILMA...AND THE
FACT THAT THE SOUTHEAST BIG BEND WILL BE LOCATED ON THE
GENERALLY DRIER NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE STORM...NO HEAVY RAINFALL OR
FLOOD IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

...TORNADO THREAT...
THERE IS NO TORNADO THREAT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME FOR THE SOUTHEAST
BIG BEND AREA.

...RIP CURRENTS...
THERE IS NO RIP CURRENT THREAT EXPECTED FOR THE EASTERN COASTAL
AREAS OF THE APALACHEE BAY INCLUDING DIXIE COUNTY.

THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 7 AM EDT (6 AM CDT).

$$

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