[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMFL 241156
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-241330-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
755 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...WILMA MOVING STEADILY ACROSS THE SOUTH FLORIDA PENINSULA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA
AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE: COLLIER...GLADES...
HENDRY...PALM BEACH...BROWARD...MIAMI-DADE AND MAINLAND MONROE.

...NEW INFORMATION...
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
UPDATED STORM SURGE IMPACTS

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...

A HURRICANE WARNING/INLAND HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA UNTIL 11 AM EDT.

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 7 AM EDT...HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH AND
LONGITUDE 81.4 WEST. FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT MIAMI...
THIS IS OVER THE BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE IN EASTERN COLLIER COUNTY OR 75
MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST PALM BEACH OR 55 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF MIAMI. WILMA IS
MOVING NORTHEAST NEAR 23 MPH. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH AN
INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. ON THIS TRACK THE EYE OF WILMA SHOULD BE MOVING
OFFSHORE THE SOUTH FLORIDA ATLANTIC COAST AROUND NOON TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA
IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SLOW WEAKENING IS
FORECAST AS WILMA CROSSES THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE LARGE EYE OF WILMA IS NOW MOVING ACROSS THE EVERGLADES AND WILL BE
MOVING ACROSS BROWARD...PALM BEACH AND NORTH MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES THROUGH
MID MORNING BEFORE MOVING OFFSHORE INTO THE ATLANTIC AROUND NOON TODAY. THIS
WILL PROVIDE A SHORT WINDOW OF ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR SO FOR ANY EMERGENCY REPAIRS
BEFORE THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE EYEWALL COMES BACK ONSHORE TO RENEW HURRICANE
CONDITIONS FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE DURING THE EYE
UNLESS EMERGENCY REPAIRS ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO PROTECT LIFE. HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS...PRIMARILY IN GUSTS...WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF MAINLAND SOUTH
FLORIDA FOR THE REST OF THE MORNING.

SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL RAISE PROJECTILES WHICH WILL BECOME
POTENTIAL DEADLY MISSILES AND PERSONS MUST NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE. PUT AS MANY
WALLS AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE OUTSIDE...SUCH AS AN INTERIOR CLOSET OR
BATHROOM. STAY AWAY FROM UNSHUTTERED WINDOWS OR WEAK GARAGE DOORS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
HURRICANE WILMA IS NOW INLAND OVER MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA. THE STORM SURGE
MAXIMIZED AROUND 6 TO 7 AM EDT ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST
ESPECIALLY THE TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS OF EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK AND SHOULD NOW
BE DIMINISHING. AS THE STORM MOVES FURTHER INLAND...THE WIND WILL
BECOME OFFSHORE AND THE SURGE WILL RECEDE STEADILY.

STORM SURGE IS STILL OCCURRING INTO FLORIDA BAY...INCLUDING CAPE SABLE...
FLAMINGO AND THE SOUTH COAST OF MIAMI-DADE. A STORM TIDE OF 8 TO 13 FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL IS NOW OCCURRING ON CAPE SABLE AND IN FLAMINGO. MUCH OF FLAMINGO
IS NOW LIKELY FLOODED AND FLOODING IS LIKELY OCCURRING ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 1 AND
CARD SOUND ROAD.

ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...PARTICULARLY BISCAYNE BAY...
TIDES ARE RUNNING 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. A STORM TIDE OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL CAN BE EXPECTED AROUND 8 TO 9 AM EDT...WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN CANALS AND WATERWAYS. SOUTH WINDS WILL PILE SOME WATER INTO
THE NORTH END OF BISCAYNE BAY CAUSING SOME FLOODING OF CAUSEWAYS AND LOW LYING
BEACH ACCESS ROADS FOR A SHORT TIME FROM EARLY TO MID MORNING MONDAY. SOME
FLOODING FROM SURGE WILL OCCUR IN LOW LYING AREAS OF MATHESON HAMMOCK AND
FAIRCHILD TROPICAL GARDENS AND PARTS OF CORAL GABLES AND COCONUT GROVE AND ALONG
THE MOUTH OF THE MIAMI RIVER. LOW LYING AREAS ON THE BAY SIDES OF KEY BISCAYNE
AND VIRGINIA KEY CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. OVER THE BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTY
COASTS...STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 3 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED MID MORNING.

FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE...A STORM SURGE OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE CURRENT LAKE LEVELS IS
EXPECTED FROM EARLY MORNING TO AROUND NOON MONDAY OVER AREAS INSIDE THE DIKE
FROM LAKEPORT TO CLEWISTON...WITH 2 TO 5 FEET ABOVE CURRENT LAKE LEVELS
ELSEWHERE FROM BUCKHEAD RIDGE SOUTH TO LAKEPORT...AND FROM CLEWISTON THROUGH
PORT MAYACA. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME FLOODING OF LOW AREAS OUTSIDE HOOVER DIKE
PROTECTION INCLUDING TORRY...KREAMER AND RITTA ISLANDS AND SOME ACCESS ROADS.
THE LAKE LEVEL ON SUNDAY WAS 15.6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME IS NOW AND LASTING FOR THE NEXT 3 TO 6 HOURS ACROSS
MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA. ALL PEOPLE SHOULD STAY SECURE INDOORS. DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE AND STAY AWAY FROM UNSHUTTERED WINDOWS AND DOORS.

SEVERAL REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 90 MPH AND ONE REPORT OF A WIND GUST
TO 107 MPH AT THE MICCOSUKEE SCHOOL NEAR FORTYMILE BEND HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS ARE NOW BEING REPORTED ACROSS ALMOST ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH
FLORIDA. SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS WESTERN
BROWARD...EASTERN HENDRY...EASTERN COLLIER...AND NORTHWEST DADE INTO THE LAKE
OKEECHOBEE REGION...BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN SUBSIDING OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BY
THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS AND ACROSS THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND METRO ATLANTIC
COAST AREAS BY EARLY AFTERNOON. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL BE SUBSIDING
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS FINALLY ENDING ACROSS PALM BEACH
COUNTY BY ABOUT 6 PM EDT.

PERSONS MUST NOT DRIVE OR WALK AROUND IN TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS. SEVERAL SOUTH FLORIDA DEATHS OCCURRED IN KATRINA WHEN PEOPLE DECIDED TO
WALK AROUND TO WATCH TREES FALL IN STRONG WINDS.

POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY. WHEN USING GENERATORS...REMEMBER TO ALLOW FOR
ADEQUATE VENTILATION. DO NOT RUN GENERATORS IN ENCLOSED AREAS BECAUSE CARBON
MONOXIDE POISONING CAN EASILY KILL PEOPLE WITH NO WARNING. EVERY HURRICANE
SITUATION IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS RESULTED IN CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
DEATHS.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
EXTREME HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE NOW OCCURRING OVER THE GULF COASTAL WATERS OF
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. SLOWLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR BY LATE AFTERNOON
AND CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THROUGH TONIGHT.

ACROSS LAKE OKEECHOBEE...HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE NOW OCCURRING. THE
WINDS SHOULD START DIMINISHING BY EARLY AFTERNOON WITH TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS SUBSIDING BY LATE AFTERNOON.

ALONG THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA...HURRICANE CONDITIONS
ARE NOW SPREADING ACROSS THE MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTY WATERS.
THE WINDS WILL BE DIMINISHING THIS EVENING AS WILMA MOVES INTO THE ATLANTIC AND
AWAY FROM FLORIDA.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR FROM MIAMI ESTIMATES AS MUCH AS 6 INCHES
OF RAINFALL ACROSS METRO COLLIER COUNTY. RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER
HOUR ARE OCCURRING WITH THE STRONGEST SPIRAL BANDS. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN
EFFECT FOR ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA.

...LOCAL TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA. WILMA HAS ALREADY
PRODUCED SEVERAL SPIRAL BANDS WITH TORNADIC SIGNATURES ON RADAR...AND THIS
WILL CONTINUE TODAY. TROPICAL CYCLONE INDUCED TORNADOES ARE QUICK FORMING AND
QUICK MOVING...AND USUALLY ONLY LAST A FEW MINUTES. DAMAGING TORNADOES ARE
ALSO LIKELY WITH THE EYE WALL AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE PENINSULA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 10 AM.

$$

PFOST

This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net