[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 240040
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-240330-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
830 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 800 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.4 WEST...ABOUT 170 MILES WEST
SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 15
MPH. A CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD MOTION...WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 110 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A
STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE
TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY...AND WILMA COULD BE NEAR CATEGORY
THREE...MAJOR HURRICANE STRENGTH...AS IT NEARS THE SOUTHWESTERN
FLORIDA COAST MONDAY MORNING. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE
WAS 958 MB...OR 28.29 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. THE EVACUATION HAS ENDED IN THE KEYS. 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...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. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY...THE CROWNE LA CONCHA HOTEL IS NO
LONGER AVAILABLE. 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
THIS EVENING TO 7 AM MONDAY. THERE IS ALSO A VOLUNTARY CURFEW ON
ALCOHOL SALES AT LOCAL BARS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED ACROSS
PORTIONS THE LOWER KEYS...AND WILL ARRIVE ACROSS THE MIDDLE KEYS IN
THE HOUR OR SO...AND IN THE UPPER KEYS BY MIDNIGHT. CONDITIONS ARE
DETERIORATING ACROSS THE LOWER AND MIDDLE KEYS AND DRIVING IS NO
LONGER RECOMMENDED. RESIDENTS IN THE UPPER KEYS HAVE JUST A FEW
HOURS LEFT FOR EVACUATION. DURING THE LAST HOUR...C-MAN STATIONS
ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF REGISTERED A WIND GUST TO 35 KNOTS...37 KNOTS
AT MOLASSES REEF LIGHT...43 KNOTS AT SOMBRERO KEY LIGHT. OVER
LAND...KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RECORDED 44 KNOTS AND 27 KNOTS
AT MARATHON AIRPORT.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. AS THE STORM APPROACHES...WIND
DIRECTION WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE KEYS DURING THE LATE
EVENING...AND THEN SHIFT TO BETWEEN SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST AFTER
MIDNIGHT. DURING THE MORNING HOURS...WILMA WILL THEN PASS JUST WEST
AND NORTH OF THE KEYS...AND THE MAXIMUM WINDS WILL THEN SHIFT FROM
SOUTHWEST TO 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 1130
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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