[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 191314 CCA
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-191530-

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

...MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE LOWER FLORIDA
KEYS FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST...
...MANDATORY EVACUATION IN EFFECT FOR VISITORS AND MOBILE HOME
RESIDENTS FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION UPDATED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS UPDATED.
MARINE IMPACTS UPDATED.

...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 800 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 22.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 430 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MARATHON...AND ABOUT 470 MILES EAST OF KEY WEST.
TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS MOVING WEST 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 997 MB...OR 29.44 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE LOWER FLORIDA
KEYS...FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST. RESIDENTS OF THE
LOWER KEYS ARE EXPECTED TO EVACUATE TODAY. A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS
IN EFFECT FOR VISITORS...NON-RESIDENTS...AND MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS
FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. THE FOLLOWING HURRICANE SHELTERS ARE
SCHEDULED TO OPEN AT NOON TODAY IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER FLORIDA KEYS
AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...STANLEY SWITLIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...MILE
MARKER 48.5 GULFSIDE IN MARATHON. CORAL SHORES HIGH SCHOOL...MILE
MARKER 89 IN ISLAMORADA. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IN
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. NO SHELTERS WILL BE OPEN IN THE LOWER FLORIDA
KEYS...SINCE THERE IS NOW A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER FOR ALL
RESIDENTS. RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ISLAND CHAIN
MUST LEAVE. THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER HAS BEEN
FULLY ACTIVATED...AS OF 700 AM. FLORIDA KEYS RESIDENTS SHOULD
INSTALL HURRICANE SHUTTERS NOW...AND SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS WHICH MAY
BECOME DANGEROUS PROJECTILES. EFFORTS TO SECURE PROPERTY SHOULD BE
COMPLETED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 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 EVENING. 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 15 TO 20 KNOTS.
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
NEAR 20 KNOTS BY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SEAS BUILDING UP TO 7 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. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS
SEVERE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. IN ADDITION...
RESIDENTS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD BE COGNIZANT THAT CONDITIONS
MAY BECOME JUST AS DANGEROUS AS DURING HURRICANE KATRINA.

...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 1130 AM EDT...OR SOONER
IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU
MAY VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST WEB SITE AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$
BS

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