[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 201203
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-201530-

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

...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS UPDATED.
RAINFALL 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 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. A
TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS. A TORNADO WATCH
MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES IN AND CLOSE TO
THE WATCH AREA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.4 WEST...OR ABOUT 60 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MARATHON...AND ABOUT 100 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF
KEY WEST. TROPICAL STORM RITA IS MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF RITA WILL BE PASSING NEAR THE
LOWER FLORIDA KEYS AROUND MIDDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR
70 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 988
MB...OR 29.18 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL STORM PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED AND FURTHER EVACUATIONS
ARE NOT ADVISABLE DUE TO HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS. RESIDENTS AND
VISITORS WHO HAVE REMAINED IN THE KEYS SHOULD STAY IN PLACE OR SEEK
SHELTER AT THE FOLLOWING REFUGES OF LAST RESORT...IN KEY WEST...
HARVEY GOVERNMENT CENTER...1200 TRUMAN AVENUE. CROWN PLAZA LA
CONCHA...403 DUVAL STREET. WYNDAM CASA MARINA RESORT...1500 REYNOLDS
STREET. ON DUCK KEY...HAWKS CAY RESORT...MILE MARKER 61. IN
ISLAMORADA...ISLAMORADA LIBRARY...MILE MARKER 81.5. ISLAND CHRISTIAN
SCHOOL...MILE MARKER 83.4. ON PLANTATION KEY...ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL
CHURCH. IN TAVERNIER...TAVERNIER HEALTH DEPARTMENT...148 GEORGIA AVE.
IN KEY LARGO...WESTIN BEACH RESORT...MILE MARKER 98. MARRIOT KEY
LARGO BAY BEACH RESORT...MILE MARKER 103.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TOTAL STORM TIDES OF 4 TO 7 FEET ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON...
MAINLY ALONG SOUTH-FACING SHORES...WITH THE HIGHEST STORM TIDES IN
THE LOWER KEYS. THIS WILL INUNDATE SOME ROADS AND LOW SECTIONS OF
THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY. 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 800 AM...SPIRAL RAINBANDS AND SQUALLS WERE INCREASING IN COVERAGE
AND INTENSITY ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. NORTH WINDS WERE
SUSTAINED AT 25 TO 30 MPH OVER THE MIDDLE AND LOWER KEYS...AND 30 TO
35 MPH OVER THE UPPER KEYS. NORTHEAST WINDS WERE SUSTAINED AT 30 TO
35 KNOTS OVER WATERS FROM CRAIG KEY TO THE DRY TORTUGAS...AND 35 TO
40 KNOTS OVER WATERS FROM CRAIG KEY TO OCEAN REEF. SUSTAINED
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH ARE IMMINENT OVER THE
UPPER KEYS...AND WILL OCCUR BY MID MORNING OVER THE MIDDLE AND LOWER
KEYS. RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS MAY RECEIVE SOME ROOF DAMAGE TO
HOMES AND BUSINESSES. SOME TREES AND POWER POLES MAY BE TOPPLED AS
WELL. MOBILE HOMES ARE NOT SAFE. POWER OUTAGES WILL BE LIKELY IN
MANY ISLAND COMMUNITIES BY LATER THIS MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
DAMAGE TO PIERS AND DOCKS IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...AND
MARINAS MAY 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...
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS. ISOLATED
TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SPIRAL RAINBANDS MOVING THROUGH 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 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. RAIN WATER IS LIKELY TO ACCUMULATE
AND ENTER SOME HOMES...AND MANY 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 95 PERCENT AT MARATHON AND 96 PERCENT AT KEY WEST. THE
PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IS 16 PERCENT AT MARATHON AND
34 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 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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