[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 231221
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-231530-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
815 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.
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 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. HURRICANE WARNINGS
ALSO ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 22.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.1 WEST...WHICH WAS ABOUT 350
MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTHEAST NEAR 8 MPH. FORWARD SPEED WILL INCREASE TODAY. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS WERE 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...
RUSH YOUR PREPARATIONS TO COMPLETION NOW. A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF
RESIDENTS REMAINS IN EFFECT. THE SHELTER AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
UNIVERSITY IS OPEN. 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
IS CLOSED. MARATHON AIRPORT IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE AT NOON TODAY.
GREYHOUND BUS SERVICE HAS SCHEDULED ONE MORE PAID BUS DEPARTING KEY
WEST TO MIAMI AT 845 AM TODAY. J G T BUS SERVICE WILL CONTINUE ITS
REGULARLY SCHEDULED SERVICE FROM MARATHON TO KEY LARGO. J G T WILL
ALSO PROVIDE SERVICES FROM KEY WEST TO MARATHON STARTING AT 900 AM
AND CONTINUING AS LONG AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. THE PICKUP POINT IN
KEY WEST IS THE SEARSTOWN SHOPPING CENTER. THIS BUS WILL STOP TO
PICK UP EVACUEES ALONG THE OCEAN SIDE OF ROUTE 1...JUST SIGNAL THE
DRIVER. EVACUEES WILL BE TRANSFERED TO ANOTHER BUS AT MARATHON 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 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. WE EXPECT
SOUTHEAST WINDS GUSTING OVER 35 MPH THIS AFTERNOON...WITH EVEN
HIGHER GUSTS IN SHOWERS. USE EXTRA CARE ON OUR ELEVATED BRIDGES. WE
EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE TO ARRIVE BY LATE
AFTERNOON OR 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 TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED ON ATLANTIC SIDES OF
ISLANDS LATE TONIGHT. THEN AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE WEST DURING
MONDAY MORNING...STORM TIDES OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE GULF AND BAY SIDES OF THE FLORIDA KEYS.
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 BRIDGE
OVER ROUTE 1 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 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 1130
AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

DFM/JR

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