[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 240735
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-240930-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
330 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...ANYONE WHO HAS REMAINED IN THE KEYS SHOULD ALREADY BE IN THE
SAFEST PLACE POSSIBLE...
...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 UPDATED.
WIND 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 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 A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE...AND IS SLIGHTLY
STRONGER. AT 300 AM EDT THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE WILMA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.8 WEST...ABOUT 75
MILES WEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 20
MPH. A CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD MOTION...WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD
SPEED...IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN
STRENGTH IS EXPECTED UNTIL LANDFALL...WHICH ON ITS CURRENT TRACK
WILL BE ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA LATER THIS
MORNING. WILMA IS A LARGE HURRICANE IN SIZE...WITH SUSTAINED
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING UP TO 85 MILES OUT FROM THE
CENTER...AND WITH SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS UP TO 230
MILES OUT FROM THE CENTER. SOME WEAKENING IS LIKELY AS WILMA CROSSES
THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA LATER TODAY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 954 MB...OR 28.17 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE EVACUATION HAS ENDED IN THE KEYS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND
RISING TIDES HAVE MOVED OVER THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS...WILL BE
AFFECTING MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS OVERNIGHT AS WELL. REMAIN IN A SAFE
PLACE. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT. REFUGES OF LAST RESORT ARE AS FOLLOWS...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. 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 HAS ENACTED A CURFEW EFFECTIVE UNTIL 7 AM MONDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE NOW MOVING OVER THE LOWER KEYS. SUSTAINED
TROPICAL FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS...
WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS POSSIBLE OVER THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
DRIVING IS DANGEROUS TO IMPOSSIBLE. THE WIND GAUGE AT KEY WEST
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS NO LONGER REPORTING DUE TO COMMUNICATION
OUTAGE...BUT A GUST TO 83 MPH WAS MEASURED AT 216 AM. OTHER WIND
GUST REPORTS INCLUDE 82 MPH AT CUDJOE KEY...89 MPH AT SOMBRERO KEY...
AND 63 MPH AT LONG KEY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. AS THE WILMA MOVES BY TO THE WEST
THEN NORTH OF THE KEYS...WIND DIRECTION WILL TURN FROM THE SOUTH...
TO SOUTHWEST...THEN WEST. RISING TIDES WILL CREATE DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS IN MARINAS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE ARE EXPECTED
WITH SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST WINDS. THEN AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE WEST
TOWARD MORNING...STORM TIDES OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE
INDICATED ON THE GULF SIDE AND THE BAY SIDE. HIGH TIDE WAS 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...
THE FLORIDA KEYS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT FOR TORNADOES WITHIN
SPIRAL RAINBANDS...ESPECIALLY NOW THROUGH LATE MORNING. A TORNADO
WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE KEYS THROUGH 1100 AM. TORNADOES ASSOCIATED
WITH SPIRAL BANDS FORM AND MOVE VERY RAPIDLY...AND CAN CROSS KEYS
ISLAND LOCATIONS WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

...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 530
AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

BROCK/RIZZO




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