[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 230915
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-231230-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
515 AM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

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

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS UPDATED.
TORNADO IMPACTS UPDATED.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS 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. BE AWARE
THAT HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR AREAS OF THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 22.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.6 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 40 MILES
NORTH OF CANCUN MEXICO. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 350 MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST
NEAR 3 MPH. AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT
24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. SOME INCREASE IN STRENGTH
IS POSSIBLE TODAY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 961
MB...OR 28.38 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE
FLORIDA KEYS. THE SHELTER AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IN
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IS OPEN FOR KEYS RESIDENTS. 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. THE FLORIDA
KEYS MARATHON AIRPORT IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE TO AIRCRAFT AT NOON
TODAY. GREYHOUND BUS SERVICE AT THE KEY WEST AIRPORT TERMINAL IS
SCHEDULED TO HAVE ONE MORE PAID BUS DEPARTING KEY WEST TO MIAMI AT
845 AM TODAY. J G T BUS SERVICE WILL CONTINUE ITS REGULARLY
SCHEDULED ROUTES AND PICK UP EVACUEES TO FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
UNIVERSITY...FROM MARATHON TO KEY LARGO. J G T WILL ALSO PROVIDE
SERVICES FROM KEY WEST TO MARATHON TODAY STARTING AT 900 AM AND
LASTING AS LONG AS IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE THROUGHOUT THE KEYS. THE
PICKUP POINT IN KEY WEST IS THE SEARSTOWN SHOPPING CENTER. 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
TRANSFERED TO ANOTHER BUS AND TAKEN TO THE F I U SHELTER. THIS
SERVICE IS FREE TO ANYONE EVACUATING THE AREA. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION YOU MAY CALL MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY HOTLINE AT
1-800-955-5504...OR IN KEY WEST CALL THE CITY HOTLINE AT
305-809-1108.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL THROUGH THE MORNING. INCREASING
SHOWERS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 35 MPH ARE LIKELY BY AFTERNOON. USE
EXTRA CARE IN DRIVING OVER BRIDGES. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE KEYS BY LATE AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. AS THE STORM APPROACHES...WIND
DIRECTION WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHEAST INITIALLY. IF WILMA PASSES JUST
WEST AND NORTH OF THE KEYS...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. STORM SURGE NEAR 8 FEET IS
POSSIBLE 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 OVER THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA AND THE
FLORIDA KEYS. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR TORNADO THREATS OVER THE KEYS
WOULD BE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

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

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 830
AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

RIZZO/BROCK







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