[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 231500
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-231830-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1100 AM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA IS OVER THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO
AND WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY AND
TONIGHT...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTLINE AND TIDAL
SHORELINES OF LEE...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...AND SARASOTA COUNTIES.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTLINE AND TIDAL
SHORELINES OF MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...PASCO...HERNANDO
CITRUS AND LEVY COUNTIES.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NON COASTAL OR NON TIDAL
LOCATIONS OF LEE...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS AND
SARASOTA COUNTIES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NON COASTAL OR
NON TIDAL LOCATIONS OF MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...POLK...
PASCO...HERNANDO...CITRUS AND LEVY COUNTIES.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 22.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.8 WEST OR ABOUT 415 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF TAMPA AND 365 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT MYERS. WILMA
WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 8 MPH...AND A GRADUAL INCREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TODAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
NO WIND EFFECTS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.  WINDS WILL
RAPIDLY INCREASE TO TROPICAL STORM OR JUST ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE
ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT...SPREADING TOWARD THE COASTLINE
LATE TONIGHT.  TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT
MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY...THEN DIMINISH TO A GUSTY
NORTHERLY BREEZE MONDAY NIGHT AFTER A COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE
PENINSULA.

...SURGE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE RUNNING 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL AT GAGING POINTS SOUTH
OF TAMPA BAY THIS MORNING.  TIDAL DEPARTURES WILL VARY GREATLY BY
LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY...HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TRACK OF THE CENTER
OF WILMA. BASED ON THE CURRENT TRACK THE GREATEST THREAT OF STORM
SURGE IS SOUTH OF LEE COUNTY.  LEE AND PERHAPS CHARLOTTE COUNTY WILL
LIKELY EXPERIENCE OVERWASH AND SOME TIDAL FLOODING EARLY MONDAY AS
WILMA APPROACHES. NORTH OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY...NORTHERLY WINDS WILL
CREATE AN OUTGOING TIDE WHICH MAY EXPOSE SANDBARS AND OTHER FEATURES
ESPECIALLY ACROSS INLETS...BAYS...AND HARBORS.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS
AFTERNOON AHEAD OF HURRICANE WILMA WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.  BRIEF PONDING OF
WATER ON ROADWAYS AND PERHAPS MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS
POSSIBLE.  THE THREAT OF FLOODING WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE MONDAY AS BANDS OF HEAVY RAIN FROM HURRICANE WILMA MOVE OVER
THE AREA.  RAINFALL WILL GENERALLY BE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES...BUT 3 TO 5
INCHES IS POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS CHARLOTTE...LEE...AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES.

AREA RIVERS REMAIN WELL BELOW FLOOD STAGE.  HEAVY RAIN MAY
PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING ON THE MANATEE RIVER LATE MONDAY...AND ON THE
PEACE AND LITTLE MANATEE RIVERS BY MIDWEEK.  HOWEVER...NO
SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING IS EXPECTED.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
WILMA IS EXPECTED TO COMBINE WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT FROM THE WEST
WHICH WILL BRING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...35 TO 60 KNOTS...
TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY OVER ALL COASTAL WATERS.  THE THREAT FOR
HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS...ABOVE 64 KNOTS...IS GREATEST SOUTH OF
TAMPA BAY...WITH HURRICANE FORCE SUSTAINED WINDS POSSIBLE OVER THE
WATERS SOUTH OF LONGBOAT KEY.

SMALL CRAFT SHOULD RETURN TO PORT THIS AFTERNOON AND REMAIN IN PORT
THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE THREAT OF TORNADOES IS NOT EXPECTED FROM TAMPA BAY NORTHWARD.
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TORNADOES OVER CHARLOTTE AND LEE
COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TORNADOES SOUTH OF
TAMPA TONIGHT AND MONDAY. THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE OVER SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE THE MOST UNSTABLE IN
THE DEEPER TROPICAL AIR.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FOR HURRICANE WILMA WILL BE ISSUED
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN RUSKIN AROUND 2 PM
TODAY.

$$

EO


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