[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 200613
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-200930-

TROPICAL STORM RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
212 AM EDT TUE SEP 20 2005

...A MANDATORY EVACUATION IN EFFECT 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.
WIND IMPACTS.

...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 IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE
FLORIDA KEYS FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE FLOODING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 200 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.8 WEST...OR ABOUT 160 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MARATHON...AND ABOUT 200 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF
KEY WEST. TROPICAL STORM RITA IS MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. REPORTS
FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT RITA HAS NOT STRENGTHENED
OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS.  HOWEVER...RITA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A
HURRICANE LATER THIS MORNING. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 991
MB...OR 29.26 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL FLORIDA KEYS. THE
SHELTER AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS OPEN FOR GENERAL
POPULATION. THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IS FULLY
ACTIVATED. ALL INTERESTS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS SHOULD RUSH HURRICANE
PREPARATIONS TO COMPLETION. INSTALL HURRICANE SHUTTERS NOW...AND
SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS WHICH MAY BECOME DANGEROUS PROJECTILES. POWER
MAY BE OUT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME...POSSIBLY A WEEK OR MORE
IN SOME PLACES. AT LEAST THREE DAYS OF FOOD AND WATER SHOULD BE
OBTAINED. CITY AND COUNTY OFFICES...AND CITY AND COUNTY PARKS ARE
CLOSED. ALL HOSPITALS IN THE KEYS ARE CLOSED. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS
ARE CLOSED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD ARE
SUSPENDED. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON
AIRPORT ARE BOTH CLOSED. GREYHOUND BUS LINES IN KEY WEST WILL BE
CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. CONTACT THE KEYS SHUTTLE AT
1-800-410-KEYS. 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 UP TO 6 TO 9 FEET IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. THIS
WILL INUNDATE SOME ROADS AND SECTIONS OF THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY. THE
HIGHEST PREDICTED STORM TIDES WILL OCCUR IF THE STORM PASSAGE
COINCIDES WITH ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE. HIGH TIDES AT WHALE HARBOR
CHANNEL ARE AT 1118 AM AND 1129 PM TODAY. HIGH TIDES AT KEY WEST
HARBOR ARE AT 230 PM TODAY...1208 AM EARLY WEDNESDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT 200 AM...NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED NEAR 20 MPH OVER MOST OF
THE KEYS...AND SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS OF 25 TO 30 KNOTS WITH
GUSTS UP TO 40 KNOTS WERE RECORDED AT AUTOMATED PLATFORMS ALONG THE
FLORIDA REEF. IN ADDITION...THE FIRST OUTER SPIRAL RAINBANDS OF
TROPICAL STORM RITA WERE BEGINNING TO AFFECT THE UPPER KEYS.
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH WILL BEGIN
EARLY THIS MORNING OVER THE UPPER KEYS...AND BY MID MORNING OVER THE
MIDDLE AND LOWER KEYS. RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS CAN EXPECT SOME
ROOF DAMAGE TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES. MOBILE HOMES ARE NOT SAFE.
LARGE TREES AND POWER POLES MAY BE TOPPLED.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
JEWFISH CREEK AND SNAKE CREEK BRIDGES ARE LOCKED IN THE DOWN
POSITION. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO PIERS IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. MARINAS WILL BE FLOODED. SMALL CRAFT IN UNPROTECTED
ANCHORAGES WILL BE TORN FROM MOORINGS. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 15 TO 20
FEET BEYOND THE REEF TODAY...WITH SEAS OF 25 TO 30 FEET NEAR THE
CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY AND
TONIGHT.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TODAY AND
TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. RAIN WATER IS LIKELY TO ACCUMULATE
AND ENTER HOMES...AND MOST STREETS WILL BE IMPASSABLE FROM WATER AND
DEBRIS.

...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE MAXIMUM PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN THE FLORIDA
KEYS IS 93 PERCENT AT MARATHON AND 92 PERCENT AT KEY WEST. THE
PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IS 35 PERCENT AT MARATHON AND
41 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 ABOUT 530 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.

$$

K. KASPER
J. RIZZO




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