[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 241328
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-241530-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
920 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...WILMA MOVING RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA...

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE WILMA HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A CATEGORY 2 STORM WITH
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 110 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  ADDITIONAL
WEAKENING IS LIKELY THROUGH THE DAY.

TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HIGHLANDS COUNTY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTLINE AND TIDAL
SHORELINES OF LEE...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...AND SARASOTA COUNTIES.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NON COASTAL OR NON TIDAL
LOCATIONS OF LEE...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS AND
SARASOTA COUNTIES.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTLINE AND TIDAL
SHORELINES OF MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...PASCO...HERNANDO
CITRUS AND LEVY COUNTIES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NON COASTAL OR
NON TIDAL LOCATIONS OF MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...POLK...
PASCO...HERNANDO...CITRUS...SUMTER AND LEVY COUNTIES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES
INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR HIGHLANDS COUNTY UNTIL 11 AM EDT
TODAY.

RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE LITTLE MANATEE RIVER AT
WIMAUMA...THE MANATEE RIVER AT MYAKKA HEAD...AND THE PEACE RIVER AT
ARCADIA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 9 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST OR ABOUT 75 MILES
EAST SOUTHEAST OF FORT MYERS AND 160 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TAMPA.
WILMA WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

...WIND IMPACTS...
DANGEROUS WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS MORNING IN LEE AND CHARLOTTE
COUNTIES...AND POSSIBLY DESOTO AND HIGHLANDS COUNTY. A PERIOD OF
WINDS 50 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE IS EXPECTED
THROUGH 11 AM.  WINDS WILL DECREASE ALONG THE COAST EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON AND OVER THE INTERIOR PENINSULA BY MID AFTERNOON.

FOR SARASOTA AND HARDEE COUNTIES...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 65 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE
THROUGH 10 AM.

IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA AND POINTS NORTH THROUGH HERNANDO COUNTY...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ABOUT NOON WITH
SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH.

IMPACTS FOR CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTY INCLUDE:
POORLY CONSTRUCTED OR UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES WILL BE HEAVILY DAMAGED
OR DESTROYED. OTHERS WILL HAVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WALLS...
AND WINDOWS...AND WILL LIKELY BE UNINHABITABLE UNTIL REPAIRED.
HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE PARTIAL WALL AND
ROOF FAILURE...AS WELL AS BLOWN OUT WINDOWS.  MOST LANAI SCREENS AND
POOL CAGES WILL HAVE DAMAGE...SOME WILL BE DESTROYED. UNSECURED LIGHT
TO MODERATE WEIGHT OUTDOOR ITEMS WILL BECOME PROJECTILES...CAUSING
ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND PERHAPS INJURY.  MANY AREAS WILL HAVE POWER
OUTAGES...HUNDREDS OF WIRES WILL FALL...TRANSFORMERS WILL POP...AND
SOME POWER POLES WILL BE PULLED DOWN. ROTTING LARGE TREES WILL BE
UPROOTED...MOST COMMON ON SATURATED GROUND.  NUMEROUS LARGE BRANCHES
OF HEALTHY TREES WILL SNAP...AND MODERATE DAMAGE IS EXPECTED IN
CITRUS GROVE.  UP TO ONE HALF OF NEWLY PLANTED CROPS WILL BE DAMAGED.

IMPACTS FOR SARASOTA...DESOTO...HIGHLANDS...AND HARDEE COUNTY
INCLUDE:
OLDER MOBILE HOMES WILL EXPERIENCE MODERATE TO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
SOME OF POOR CONSTRUCTION WILL BE UNINHABITABLE UNTIL REPAIRED.
HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE DAMAGE TO SHINGLES
...SIDING...AND GUTTERS.  SOME WINDOWS WILL BE BLOWN OUT.  MANY
LANAI SCREENS AND POOL CAGES WILL BE DAMAGED.  UNFASTENED HOME
ITEMS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE WEIGHT WILL BECOME AIRBORNE...CAUSING
ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURY.  DOZENS OF WIRES WILL BE
BLOWN DOWN.  LOCAL POWER OUTAGES WILL AFFECT ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS.
MANY LARGE BRANCHES OF HEALTHY TREES WILL BE SNAPPED...AND ROTTING
SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED TREES WILL BE UPROOTED.  DOZENS OF PALM FRONDS
WILL BE BLOWN DOWN...AND MINOR DAMAGE WILL OCCUR TO CITRUS GROVES
AND NEWLY PLANTED LOWLAND CROPS.

IMPACTS FOR THE TAMPA BAY AND LAKELAND AREAS INCLUDE:
MINOR DAMAGE WILL OCCUR TO MANY MOBILE HOMES.  POORLY CONSTRUCTED
HOMES MAY RECEIVE SOME WALL DAMAGE AND PARTIAL ROOF REMOVAL.  A
FEW HOUSES MAY HAVE MINOR DAMAGE TO ROOF SHINGLES AND SIDING.  A
FEW POOL CAGES AND LANAI SCREENS WILL BE DAMAGED.  UNSECURED LIGHT
WEIGHT ITEMS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES...CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE.
SOME ELECTRICAL WIRES WILL BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOCAL POWER OUTAGES
ARE LIKELY. MOST NEWLY PLANTED TREES AND SHRUBS WILL BE DAMAGED OR
UPROOTED. SOME ROTTING SMALL TREES WILL BE UPROOTED...AND ROTTEN
LARGE BRANCHES WILL SNAP.  NUMEROUS SMALL TWIGS WILL SEPARATE FROM
TREES. A FEW PALM FRONDS WILL BE BLOWN DOWN.

...SURGE IMPACTS...
TIDES HAVE RETURNED TO ABOUT NORMAL AT GAGING POINTS FROM THE TAMPA
BAY AREA SOUTH. NORTH TO NORTHEASTERLY WINDS HAVE BEGUN TO EVACUATE
WATER FROM COASTAL AREAS.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
OVERNIGHT RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE...WITH
4 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE...AND LEE COUNTIES. HIGHER
LOCALIZED AMOUNTS. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN IS
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE INTERIOR FLORIDA PENINSULA AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA INCLUDING THE FORT MYERS AREA.  GENERALLY LESS THAN 1
INCH WILL OCCUR ALONG COASTAL AREAS FROM SARASOTA COUNTY
NORTHWARD...AS THE RAIN WILL BE ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST THIS
MORNING ALONG THE COAST...AND OVER THE INTERIOR BY EARLY
AFTERNOON.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FOR HURRICANE WILMA WILL BE ISSUED
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN RUSKIN AROUND 915 AM EDT
THIS MORNING.

$$

EO/RD

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