[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 201203
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-201530-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
800 AM EDT TUE SEP 20 2005

...TROPICAL STORM RITA FORECAST TO STRIKE THE FLORIDA KEYS AS A
HURRICANE...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTHWARD TO
ENGLEWOOD FOR LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...AND LEE
COUNTIES.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR BONITA BEACH NORTH TO
ENGLEWOOD.

...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 200 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF FORT MYERS. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
THE TAMPA BAY REGION.

...WIND IMPACTS...
NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
BECOMING EAST 15 TO 25 MPH TUESDAY NIGHT. PEAK GUSTS OF 40 MPH
ARE POSSIBLE IN STRONGER BANDS THAT ROTATE ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT. PEAK SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE
HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON NORTHWARD EXTENT OF RITA.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CURRENT FORECAST MOVEMENT OF RITA WILL BRING OCCASIONAL BANDS
OF HEAVY RAIN TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY
NIGHT. BRIEF FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS
POSSIBLE...BUT SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS NOT LIKELY.

STORM TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS IF PERSISTENT BANDS DEVELOP.  ALL RIVERS IN WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ARE WELL BELOW FLOOD STAGE. NO RIVER FLOODING IS
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
AS RITA MOVES FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS INTO THE CENTRAL GULF OF
MEXICO TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WINDS AND SEAS WILL
CONTINUE TO INCREASE OVER THE EAST GULF MAKING CONDITIONS
HAZARDOUS. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD PLAN TO REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL CONDITIONS
IMPROVE.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A MINIMAL RISK OF TORNADOES EXISTS IN RAIN BANDS OVER SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS RITA MOVES SOUTH OF
THE AREA.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
RITA IS EXPECTED TO STAY FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO PREVENT ANY STORM SURGE
IMPACTS FROM AFFECTING SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE
OFFSHORE UNTIL RITA MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO ON
WEDNESDAY.  WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHEAST ALLOWING SEAS TO RISE ABOUT A
FOOT ABOVE NORMAL. THIS COUPLE WITH HIGHER THAN NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL
TIDES COULD CAUSE MINOR PROBLEMS ALONG THE COAST WEDNESDAY.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BY 1130 AM THIS MORNING.

$$

SB

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