[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 240342
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-240630-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1145 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.
TORNADO IMPACTS.
RAINFALL IMPACTS.

...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 UNTIL 2 PM MONDAY FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS.
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MONDAY FOR ALL OF THE
FLORIDA KEYS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
HURRICANE WILMA IS NOW A MAJOR HURRICANE. AT 1100 PM EDT THE CENTER
OF NOW MAJOR HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.4
NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.7 WEST...ABOUT 120 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF KEY
WEST. WILMA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 18 MPH. A CONTINUED
NORTHEASTWARD MOTION...WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS
EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115
MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE. SOME
SLOW WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS WILMA CROSSES THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA
PENINSULA...BUT THE HURRICANE IS FORECAST TO STILL BE A SIGNIFICANT
CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE BY THE TIME THE CENTER REACHES THE FLORIDA
EAST COAST EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 958 MB...OR 28.29 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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. THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION IS THE LATEST FROM MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
REFUGES OF LAST RESORT ARE 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...AND THE SHERATON KEY LARGO BEACH RESORT MILE MARKER 98
KEY LARGO...AND MARRIOT KEY LARGO BAY BEACH RESORT MILE MARKER 103
KEY LARGO. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS CLARIFYING THE
SITUATION REGARDING THE CROWNE PLAZA LA CONCHA IN KEY WEST. CROWNE
LA CONCHA HOTEL IN KEY WEST IS OPEN AND IS SERVING AS A REFUGE OF
LAST RESORT. 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 HAVE ALREADY ENACTED A CURFEW AS OF 10 PM THIS EVENING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 7 AM MONDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED ACROSS
PORTIONS THE LOWER AND MIDDLE KEYS...AND WILL ARRIVE ACROSS THE
MIDDLE KEYS WITHIN TWO HOURS. CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE
ACROSS THE LOWER AND MIDDLE KEYS AND DRIVING IS BECOMING
DANGEROUS...AND WILL SOON BE IMPOSSIBLE. CONDITIONS ARE NOW
DETERIORATING ACROSS THE UPPER KEYS. DURING THE LAST HOUR...LONG KEY
C MAN IN FLORIDA BAY REGISTERED A WIND GUST TO 35 KNOTS. ALONG THE
FLORIDA REEF...MOLASSES REEF LIGHT REGISTERED 28 KNOTS...SOMBRERO
KEY LIGHT REGISTERED 48 KNOTS. OVER LAND...KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT RECORDED 52 KNOTS AND 34 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 THROUGH
MIDNIGHT...AND THEN SHIFT TO SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. DURING THE MORNING
HOURS...WILMA WILL THEN PASS JUST WEST AND NORTH OF THE KEYS...AND
THE MAXIMUM WINDS 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
OVERNIGHT. 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. THE FLORIDA KEYS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT
THREAT FOR TORNADOES WITHIN SPIRAL RAINBANDS...ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT
THROUGH LATE TOMORROW MORNING. A VIOLENT WATERSPOUT WAS SPOTTED 5 NM
WEST OF KEY WEST AT 4 PM...AND KEY WEST RADAR HAS INDICATED SEVERAL
VIOLENT WATERSPOUTS SOUTH OF THE LOWER KEYS THROUGHOUT THIS EVENING.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAINS ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT
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 230
AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

FUTTERMAN















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