[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMFL 241308
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-241415-

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

...WILMA MOVING INTO METRO BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES AS WELL AS THE
LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION...

...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 STORM SURGE IMPACTS
UPDATED WIND INFORMATION

...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 9 AM EDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 26.3
NORTH LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT MIAMI SHOWS
THE EYE OF WILMA JUST EAST OF THE BIG CYPRESS INDIAN COMMUNITY IN EXTREME
SOUTHWEST PALM BEACH COUNTY OR ABOUT 45 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT LAUDERDALE OR 45
MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST PALM BEACH. WILMA IS MOVING NORTHEAST NEAR 25 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 110 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA
IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SLOW WEAKENING IS
FORECAST AS WILMA CROSSES THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A STRONG SPIRAL BAND WITH OCCASIONAL SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND
FREQUENT HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH METRO BROWARD AND
PALM BEACH COUNTIES AND THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION THROUGH 10 AM EDT. ALL
RESIDENTS OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA MUST STAY INDOORS IN A SAFE PLACE FOR THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

THE LARGE EYE OF WILMA IS NOW MOVING ACROSS THE EVERGLADES AND
WILL BE MOVING ACROSS BROWARD...PALM BEACH AND EXTREME 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 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 WILL SLOWLY
BE DIMINISHING. AS THE STORM MOVES FURTHER INLAND...THE WIND WILL
BECOME NORTHERLY AND THE SURGE SHOULD RECEDE STEADILY.

THE MAXIMUM STORM SURGE INTO FLORIDA BAY IS STILL OCCURRING BUT AS WINDS BECOME
MORE OFFSHORE BY 10 AM...SOME IMPROVEMENT CAN BE EXPECTED AT FLAMINGO AND
EXTREME SOUTH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INCLUDING U.S. HIGHWAY 1 AND CARD SOUND ROAD.
THE SURGE SHOULD BE STEADILY RECEDING THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF
FLORIDA BAY.

ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...PARTICULARLY BISCAYNE BAY...
TIDES ARE RUNNING 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. A STORM TIDE OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL IS NOW OCCURRING...WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN
CANALS AND WATERWAYS. FLOODING FROM SURGE WILL CONTINUE 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 3 TO 4 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED MID
MORNING. AS THE WIND FLOW BECOMES OFFSHORE BY NOON...STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG
THE ATLANTIC COAST WILL SUBSIDE SLOWLY.

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 100 MPH 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...
METRO BROWARD AND METRO PALM BEACH COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

FOR METRO COLLIER COUNTY...THE WIND ON THE BACK SIDE OF WILMA'S EYE HAS BECOME
NORTHERLY BUT STILL GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH. A GUST TO 121 MPH WAS
REPORTED AT THE COLLIER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE AT 845 AM EDT. RESIDENTS OF
METRO COLLIER AND MAINLAND MONROE CAN EXPECT NORTH TO NORTHWEST SUSTAINED WINDS
EXCEEDING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WITH GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE TO CONTINUE FOR THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN SUBSIDING OVER
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BY THE LATE MORNING HOURS AND ACROSS THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND
METRO ATLANTIC COAST AREAS BY MID AFTERNOON. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL BE
SUBSIDING ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS FINALLY ENDING ACROSS PALM
BEACH COUNTY THIS EVENING.

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 MID AFTERNOON WITH TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS SUBSIDING THIS EVENING.

ALONG THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA...HURRICANE CONDITIONS
ARE NOW OCCURRING. WINDS SHOULD START DIMINISHING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC COASTAL
WATERS LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SUBSIDING THIS
EVENING.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR FROM MIAMI ESTIMATES AS MUCH AS 6 INCHES
OF RAINFALL ACROSS METRO COLLIER COUNTY NORTHEAST INTO HENDRY AND GLADES
COUNTIES. 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

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