[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 190909
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-191230-

TROPICAL STORM RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
510 AM EDT MON SEP 19 2005

...MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR VISITORS AND MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS WILL
GO INTO EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AT 600 AM EDT...
...FLOOD WATCH ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
WATCHES AND WARNINGS UPDATED.
STORM INFORMATION UPDATED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS UPDATED.
RAINFALL IMPACTS UPDATED.
PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SECTION ADDED.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY
INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AND
ADJOINING WATERS...FROM OCEAN REEF TO THE DRY TORTUGAS...INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS...
WINDS OF 74 MPH OR GREATER AND STORM SURGE FLOODING...ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS
THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE FLOODING.
FOR THOSE TRAVELING NORTH TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA MAINLAND...A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM DEERFIELD
BEACH SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY AND CONTINUING WESTWARD TO EAST CAPE
SABLE.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 22.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.3 WEST...OR ABOUT 450 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MARATHON...AND ABOUT 490 MILES EAST OF KEY WEST.
TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH.
A MOTION JUST A LITTLE NORTH OF DUE WEST IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT
24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS...AND TROPICAL STORM RITA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY ONE
HURRICANE LATER TODAY. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 998 MB...OR
29.47 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR VISITORS...NON-RESIDENTS...AND MOBILE
HOME RESIDENTS WILL GO INTO EFFECT AT 600 AM EDT FOR ALL OF THE
FLORIDA KEYS.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ISLAND CHAIN MUST LEAVE.

THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CENTER WILL BE FULLY
ACTIVATED TODAY AT 700 AM.

FLORIDA KEYS RESIDENTS SHOULD INSTALL HURRICANE SHUTTERS NOW...AND
SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS WHICH MAY BECOME DANGEROUS PROJECTILES.

CITY OFFICES...COUNTY PARKS...AND STATE PARKS ARE CLOSED. COUNTY
OFFICES WILL CLOSE AT NOON TODAY. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS WILL BE
CLOSED TODAY AND TUESDAY. AS OF THIS TIME...HOSPITALS WILL REMAIN
OPEN. TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD ARE SUSPENDED. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL
AND FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON AIRPORTS SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON.

THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION HOTLINE IS
AVAILABLE AT 1-800-955-5504.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
A STORM SURGE OF 6 TO 8 FEET IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY IN THE LOWER
KEYS...AND A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 6 FEET IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY IN THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. WATER LEVELS WILL LIKELY BEGIN RISING TONIGHT
OR EARLY TUESDAY. THESE STORM SURGE ESTIMATES ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH
OBSERVATIONS FROM PREVIOUS STORMS OF SIMILAR STRENGTH ON A SIMILAR
TRACK. ASTRONOMICAL TIDES HAVE BEEN ABOUT 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL IN
RECENT DAYS DUE TO THE FULL MOON. THEREFORE...A STORM TIDE OF 7 TO 9
FEET IS POSSIBLE SHOULD STORM PASSAGE COINCIDE WITH THE TIME OF HIGH
TIDE. HIGH TIDES AT WHALE HARBOR CHANNEL ARE AT 1031 AM AND 1045 PM
TODAY...AND TUESDAY AT 1118 AM AND 1129 PM. HIGH TIDES AT KEY WEST
HARBOR ARE AT 1141 AM AND 1134 PM TODAY...AND AT 230 PM ON
TUESDAY...AND FINALLY 1208 AM EARLY WEDNESDAY.

REMEMBER...THE TOTAL STORM TIDE EQUALS THE STORM SURGE PLUS THE
ASTRONOMICAL TIDE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
NORTHEAST WINDS ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS CURRENTLY RANGE FROM 10 TO
20 MPH. OVER WATER...NORTHEAST WINDS RANGE FROM NEAR 10 KNOTS AT THE
DRY TORTUGAS...TO NEAR 20 KNOTS AT MOLASSES REEF. NORTHEAST BREEZES
ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY FRESHEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY...WITH
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH BEGINNING BY
TUESDAY EARLY MORNING OVER WATERS ADJACENT TO THE UPPER KEYS...AND
BY TUESDAY MID MORNING OVER THE MIDDLE AND LOWER KEYS. HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS OF 74 MPH OR GREATER WILL BE POSSIBLE IN PORTIONS OF THE
FLORIDA KEYS BY TUESDAY LATE MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO
20 TO 25 KNOTS BY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SEAS BUILDING UP TO 8 FEET
BEYOND THE REEF...AND HIGHER IN THE GULF STREAM. BY TUESDAY...SEAS
WILL BUILD TO 15 TO 20 FEET BEYOND THE REEF...WITH SEAS OF 25 TO 30
FEET NEAR THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA. IF YOU PLAN TO EVACUATE
YOUR BOAT AND REQUIRE THE BRIDGE TO OPEN ON JEWFISH CREEK OR SNAKE
CREEK...YOU SHOULD BEGIN YOUR TRIP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE BRIDGES
MAY BE LOCKED DOWN TO MARINE TRAFFIC LATER TODAY. IF YOU PLAN FOR
YOUR VESSEL TO REMAIN IN THE KEYS...YOU MAY WISH TO USE THIS TIME TO
ADD EXTRA LINES AND DEPLOY EXTRA GROUND TACKLE.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR LATE
TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE MAXIMUM PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN THE FLORIDA
KEYS IS 79 PERCENT AT MARATHON AND 78 PERCENT AT KEY WEST. THE
PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IS 24 PERCENT AT MARATHON AND
26 PERCENT AT KEY WEST.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE IMPACTS OF TROPICAL STORM
RITA ON THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE ISSUED AT 830 AM EDT...OR SOONER IF
NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE
VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST WEB SITE AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

K. KASPER




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