[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 232150
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-240030-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
545 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

...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.
THIS MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS. A
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS. A TORNADO WATCH
IS IN EFFECT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.9 WEST...ABOUT 210 MILES WEST
SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 14
MPH. A CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD MOTION AND A GRADUAL INCREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE NEAR 105 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY TWO
HURRICANE. SOME INCREASE IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND EARLY
MONDAY...AND WILMA COULD BE NEAR CATEGORY THREE STRENGTH AS IT NEARS
THE SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA COAST. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 959 MB...OR 28.32 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE RELEASED A
SCHEDULE TO TERMINATE THE EVACUATION OF THE FLORIDA KEYS DUE TO
HURRICANE WILMA. EVACUATIONS ENDED IN THE LOWER KEYS AND KEY WEST AS
OF 5 PM. EVACUATIONS ARE TO END AT 6 PM IN THE MIDDLE KEYS INCLUDING
MARATHON...AND AT 7 PM IN THE UPPER KEYS INCLUDING ISLAMORADA...KEY
LARGO...OCEAN REEF...AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY. RESIDENTS AND
MOTORISTS SHOULD SEEK SAFE AND STURDY SHELTER. RESIDENTS WHO HAVE
NOT EVACUATED AND WHO DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THEIR HOMES...ESPECIALLY
IN MOBILE HOMES...CAN GO TO A REFUGE OF LAST RESORT AS FOLLOWS...KEY
WEST HIGH SCHOOL AT 2100 FLAGLER AVENUE...CROWNE PLAZA LA CONCHA KEY
WEST 403 DUVAL STREET...SUGARLOAF SCHOOL MILE MARKER 19...STANLEY
SWITLIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MILE MARKER 48...CORAL SHORES HIGH SCHOOL
MILE MARKER 90...SHERATON KEY LARGO BEACH RESORT MILE MARKER 98 KEY
LARGO...AND MARRIOT KEY LARGO BAY BEACH RESORT MILE MARKER 103 KEY
LARGO. OFFICIALS EMPHASIZE REFUGES OF LAST RESORT WILL NOT BE MANNED
BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS...AND THERE WILL BE NO SUPPLIES FOR
EVACUEES. EVACUEES MUST BRING THEIR OWN WATER...BEDDING...AND
SUPPLIES. NO PETS ARE PERMITTED AT REFUGES OF LAST RESORT. MONROE
COUNTY OFFICES AND COURTS ARE TO BE CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE TO BE CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY. MONROE
COUNTY SCHOOL DAYTIME CUSTODIANS SHOULD REPORT TUESDAY. ALL CAMPUSES
OF FLORIDA KEYS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE TO BE CLOSED MONDAY. THE CITY
OF KEY WEST WILL ENACT A CURFEW FROM 10 PM SUNDAY TO 7 AM MONDAY.
THERE IS ALSO A VOLUNTARY CURFEW ON ALCOHOL SALES AT LOCAL BARS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL ARRIVE ACROSS THE LOWER
AND MIDDLE KEYS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS...AND ACROSS THE UPPER
KEYS BY LATE THIS EVENING. CONDITIONS ARE DETERIORATING ACROSS THE
LOWER KEYS AND DRIVING IS NO LONGER RECOMMENDED. RESIDENTS IN THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS HAVE JUST A FEW HOURS LEFT FOR EVACUATION.
CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL BE ARRIVING ACROSS THE LOWER
KEYS...

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. AS THE STORM APPROACHES...WIND
DIRECTION WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHEAST INITIALLY. AS WILMA PASSES JUST
WEST AND NORTH OF THE KEYS...THE MAXIMUM WINDS WILL COME FROM THE
SOUTHWEST THEN WEST.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE ARE EXPECTED LATE
TONIGHT. THEN AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE WEST MONDAY MORNING...STORM
TIDES OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE INDICATED ON THE GULF SIDE AND
THE BAY SIDE. 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.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOS EMBEDDED IN OUTER RAINBANDS ARE A SIGNIFICANT
THREAT WITH HURRICANE WILMA. A VIOLENT WATERSPOUT WAS SPOTTED 5 NM
WEST OF KEY WEST AT 4 PM. THE GREATEST THREAT OF TORNADOS WILL OCCUR
FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TOMORROW 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. SEVERE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU LIVE IN A HIGHLY
FLOOD-PRONE AREA TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY.

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

$$

FUTTERMAN/DEVANAS




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