[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMFL 192103
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-200100-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
510 PM EDT MON SEP 19 2005

...OUTERMOST RAINBANDS WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA THIS EVENING...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR PERSONS IN MIAMI-DADE...
MAINLAND MONROE...BROWARD...COLLIER...PALM BEACH...HENDRY...AND
GLADES COUNTIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA.

...NEW INFORMATION...
UPDATED WATCHES/WARNINGS
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS
UPDATED TORNADO IMPACTS

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR MIAMI-DADE...BROWARD AND MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTIES UNTIL 6 PM TUESDAY EVENING.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR HENDRY AND GLADES COUNTIES.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...HURRICANE WARNING FOR COASTAL SECTIONS AND INLAND HURRICANE
WARNING FOR INLAND AREAS.

BROWARD COUNTY...TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH FOR COASTAL
SECTIONS...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR INLAND AREAS.

PALM BEACH COUNTY...TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR COASTAL SECTIONS AND INLAND
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR INLAND METRO PALM BEACH COUNTY.

MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY...HURRICANE WARNING FOR COASTAL SECTIONS FROM EAST CAPE
SABLE EAST ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF FLORIDA BAY...TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND
HURRICANE WATCH NORTH OF EAST CAPE SABLE...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND
INLAND HURRICANE WATCH FOR INLAND AREAS.

COLLIER COUNTY...TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR COASTAL SECTIONS AND INLAND TROPICAL
STORM WATCH FOR INLAND AREAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.5 WEST OR ABOUT 290 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
MIAMI. RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST AROUND 14 MILES AN HOUR AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
ARE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS AND RITA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE LATER
TONIGHT.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
WITH A HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...PERSONS
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS WITH THE IDEA THAT
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL OCCUR AT THEIR LOCATION. MIAMI-DADE EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT HAS ANNOUNCED MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR MOBILE HOMES AND A STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED VOLUNTARY EVACUATION FOR EVACUATION ZONE A WHICH INCLUDES THE
BARRIER ISLANDS AND LOW LYING COASTAL NEIGHBORHOODS. SHELTERS WILL BE OPENED...
HOWEVER PERSONS WHO EVACUATE ARE URGED TO STAY WITH NEARBY RELATIVES OR FRIENDS.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED ON TUESDAY.

WITH A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR BROWARD COUNTY...PERSONS SHOULD
EXPECT WINDS FREQUENTLY GUSTING TO 40 MPH OR HIGHER. BROWARD EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT HAS RECOMMENDED EVACUATION OF ALL MOBILE HOMES. THREE SHELTERS PLUS
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTERS ARE OPEN. ALL BROWARD COUNTY AND SOME
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON TUESDAY. PERSONS WHO EVACUATE ARE
URGED TO STAY WITH NEARBY RELATIVES OR FRIENDS. PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED
TUESDAY.

COLLIER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE RECOMMENDED VOLUNTARY
EVACUATION FOR MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS IN EVERGLADES CITY...GOODLAND AND
CHOKOLOSKEE. NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON WHETHER SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED ON
TUESDAY.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK MAIN ENTRANCE...INCLUDING FLAMINGO...AND BISCAYNE
NATIONAL PARK ARE CLOSED. SHARK VALLEY AND THE EVERGLADES CITY FACILITIES WILL
CLOSE AT SUNSET.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE ALREADY ABOUT A HALF FOOT TO A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE SOUTHEAST
ATLANTIC COAST DUE TO BOTH AN ONSHORE WIND AND THE NORMAL SPRING TIDES
ASSOCIATED WITH THE FULL MOON. THE STORM TIDE ASSOCIATED WITH RITA DEPENDS
HEAVILY ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE CENTER OF THE STORM. WITH THE PRESENT FORECAST
TRACK AND INTENSITY...THE MAXIMUM STORM TIDE...WHICH INCLUDES THE STORM SURGE
AND THE HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDE...FOR THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA MAINLAND COAST WOULD
BE 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. THIS CAN BE EXPECTED TO OCCUR NORTH OF
WHERE THE CENTER PASSES AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE WHICH WOULD BE AROUND 10 TO
11 AM TUESDAY. ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK THE HIGHEST STORM TIDE OF 3 TO 5
FEET WILL LIKELY AFFECT PARTS OF BISCAYNE BAY AND ELLIOT KEY INCLUDING COASTAL
NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND COCONUT GROVE...VIRGINIA KEY...KEY BISCAYNE AND MIAMI
BEACH. SOME COASTAL ACCESS ROADS WILL BE COVERED WITH WATER AROUND THE TIME OF
HIGH TIDE TUESDAY MORNING. LOW LYING BUILDINGS CLOSE TO THE COAST MAY BE FLOODED
AS WELL. STORM TIDE HEIGHTS UP TO 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL ARE LIKELY
OVER THE REST OF COASTAL MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES. ON TOP OF THIS STORM
TIDE...LARGE BATTERING WAVES CAUSING EXTENSIVE BEACH EROSION ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.
BARRIER ISLANDS LIKE ELLIOT KEY AND OTHER ISLANDS OF BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK CAN
EXPECT LARGE AREAS TO BE INUNDATED LATE TUESDAY MORNING.

FOR THE GULF COAST OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...THE OFFSHORE WIND FLOW TUESDAY WILL
ACTUALLY BLOW WATER AWAY FROM THE COAST RESULTING IN MUCH LOWER THAN NORMAL
WATER LEVELS ESPECIALLY AT TIMES OF LOW TIDE. THE MAXIMUM STORM TIDE WOULD NOT
OCCUR UNTIL RITA MOVES INTO THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO AND THE WIND BECOMES
MORE ONSHORE BEGINNING LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND LASTING INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM STORM TIDE WOULD BE FROM 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL AROUND 2 TO 3
AM WEDNESDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THIS EVENING...SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS NEAR 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ARE
EXPECTED ACROSS THE METRO AREAS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA. AS MORE FREQUENT RAIN
BANDS MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT...SUSTAINED WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 30 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. ON TUESDAY...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH WILL OCCUR WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY REACHING HURRICANE STRENGTH...
MAINLY OVER MIAMI-DADE AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO BLOW DOWN TREES AND LARGE
TREE LIMBS WHICH WILL CAUSE SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES. PERSONS IN MIAMI-DADE AND
MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE HURRICANE CONDITIONS ON
TUESDAY.

...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE MAXIMUM PROBABILITY OF WINDS OF 39 TO 57 MPH RANGE FROM AROUND 75
PERCENT IN HOMESTEAD...70 PERCENT IN MIAMI...50 PERCENT IN FORT LAUDERDALE AND
38 PERCENT IN WEST PALM BEACH. THE MAXIMUM PROBABILITY OF WINDS 58 TO 73 MPH
IS AROUND 50 PERCENT IN HOMESTEAD...25 PERCENT IN MIAMI...15 PERCENT IN FORT
LAUDERDALE...AND 5 PERCENT IN WEST PALM BEACH. THE MAXIMUM PROBABILITY OF
WINDS OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...74 MPH OR HIGHER...RANGES FROM 10 PERCENT IN
HOMESTEAD TO 7 PERCENT IN MIAMI TO 4 PERCENT IN FORT LAUDERDALE TO LESS THAN 2
PERCENT IN WEST PALM BEACH.

ON THE GULF COAST OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...THE MAXIMUM PROBABILITY OF
WINDS 39 TO 57 MPH IS AROUND 80 PERCENT IN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK...75
PERCENT IN MARCO ISLAND AND AROUND 60 PERCENT IN NAPLES. THE MAXIMUM
PROBABILITY OF WINDS FROM 58 TO 73 MPH IS AROUND 60 PERCENT IN EVERGLADES
NATIONAL PARK...30 PERCENT IN MARCO ISLAND AND 20 PERCENT IN NAPLES. THE
MAXIMUM PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...74 MPH OR HIGHER...ARE AROUND 30
PERCENT AT EVERGLADES CITY...AROUND 15 PERCENT IN MARCO ISLAND AND AROUND 10
PERCENT IN NAPLES.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
IN THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS OFF THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST AND FOR BISCAYNE
BAY...SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS ARE CURRENTLY 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS.
WINDS IN RAINBANDS WILL BE INCREASING TONIGHT...FREQUENTLY GUSTING TO 35 KNOTS.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 34 TO 63 KNOTS WILL BEGIN EARLY TUESDAY MORNING
AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF TUESDAY FINALLY DIMINISHING TUESDAY EVENING. SMALL
CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

IN THE GULF OF MEXICO COASTAL WATERS FROM EAST CAPE SABLE TO BONITA BEACH...
SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL OCCUR
TONIGHT. ON TUESDAY SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL
AFFECT THE COASTAL WATERS FROM EAST CAPE SABLE TO CHOKOLOSKEE WITH SUSTAINED
WINDS OR FREQUENT GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 KNOTS WILL AFFECT THE AREA FROM CHOKOLOSKEE
TO BONITA BEACH. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

SURF ALONG THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA OCEAN BEACHES WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY ROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON BECOMING VERY ROUGH TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS
ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AND PERSONS ARE URGED TO SWIM
AT GUARDED BEACHES OR REMAIN OUT OF THE WATER.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE...
MAINLY IN MIAMI-DADE...BROWARD AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES ON TUESDAY AND A
FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL BEGIN LATE TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. ONSHORE FLOW ALONG THE ATLANTIC
COAST WILL HINDER DRAINAGE FROM LOCAL CANALS AND COULD AGGRAVATE THE FLOODING
PROBLEM AS HEAVY RAINS OCCUR. RAINFALL IN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND ALSO IN
COLLIER...HENDRY AND GLADES COUNTIES SHOULD AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES.

...LOCAL TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF QUICK STRIKING TORNADOES IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF
RITA. THE CHANCE OF TORNADOES WILL BE MAINLY ON TUESDAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 9 PM. FOR A GRAPHICAL DEPICTION
OF THIS STATEMENT PLEASE VISIT THE MIAMI WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE WEB SITE AT
WWW.MIAMIWEATHER.INFO OR EN ESPANOL AT WWW.ELTIEMPOENMIAMI.INFO.

$$

LUSHINE

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