[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 201532
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-201830-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1130 AM EDT TUE SEP 20 2005

...HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY WHILE TRACKING STEADILY
WESTWARD SOUTH OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION...
RITA IS NOW A STRONG CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF
85 MPH AROUND THE INNER CORE.  SUSTAINED HURRICANE AND TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS REMAIN SOUTH OF LEE COUNTY.

AN OUTER FEEDER BAND WILL BRING SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A THUNDERSTORM TO
LEE AND PERHAPS CHARLOTTE COUNTY BETWEEN NOON AND 2 PM.  WIND GUSTS
MAY BREIFLY EXCEED TROPICAL STORM FORCE...40 MPH...IN THIS BAND.
VISIBILITY MAY DROP BELOW 1 MILE IN LOCALLY TORRENTIAL RAINS.  AS
WITH ANY TROPICAL CYCLONE FEEDER BAND...THERE IS A SMALL THREAT OF
ISOLATED TORNADOES.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BONITA BEACH NORTH TO
ENGLEWOOD.  THE WARNING MAY BE DISCONTINUED LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR
EVENING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1115 AM EDT... THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.0 WEST OR ABOUT 190 MILES
SOUTH OF FORT MYERS. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 295 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF
TAMPA.  RITA IS MOVING STEADILY WEST AT 15 MPH.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT 15 TO 25 MPH EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON...BECOMING EAST AT 15 MPH BY EVENING. PEAK GUSTS
OF 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN STRONGER BANDS THAT WILL ROTATE ACROSS
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...MAINLY IN LEE
AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CURRENT FORECAST MOVEMENT OF RITA WILL BRING OCCASIONAL BANDS
OF HEAVY RAIN TO LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
BRIEF FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS POSSIBLE AS
EACH BAND PASSES...BUT NOTABLE FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED.

AREAL STORM TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES IN LEE COUNTY...1
INCH IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY...AND LESS THAN ONE INCH IN DESOTO COUNTY.
HOWEVER...INDIVIDUAL STRONGER CELLS COULD PRODUCE UP TO A HALF AN
INCH ANYWHERE.  LOCATIONS WHICH EXPERIENCE THE STRONGER PORTION OF
FEEDER BANDS MAY RECEIVE MORE THAN 3 INCHES IN LEE COUNTY...AND
MORE THAN 2 INCHES IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY.

ALL RIVERS IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ARE WELL BELOW FLOOD
STAGE...AND NO RIVER FLOODING IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL RANGE FROM 20 TO 30 KNOTS ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS SOUTH
OF ENGLEWOOD THIS AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE IN
STRONGER CELLS EMBEDDED IN FEEDER BANDS ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 2 PM AND 8
PM TODAY. WINDS WILL VEER FROM NORTHEAST TO EAST...AND EVENTUALLY
SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT.

WITH WINDS CONTINUING FROM THE EAST AND NORTHEAST...AND RITA JUST
EMERGING INTO THE GULF...SEAS WILL INCREASE SHARPLY FROM NEARSHORE
TO OFFSHORE.  SEA HEIGHTS WILL RANGE FROM 2 FEET RIGHT NEAR SHORE TO
6 FEET 20 NM OFFSHORE...AND UP TO 10 FEET 60 NM OFFSHORE...BY LATE
AFTERNOON.  SEAS WILL BRIEFLY BUILD OVERNIGHT TO 10 TO 14 FEET
BETWEEN 20 AND 60 NM OUT...ESPECIALLY WEST OF BONITA BEACH.

SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT TODAY AND TONIGHT.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A LOW RISK OF TORNADOES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY AS RITA CONTINUES MOVING SOUTH OF THE KEYS
AND INTO THE CENTRAL GULF LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THERE IS NO THREAT OF SURGE. IN FACT...TIDES WILL RUN BELOW FORECAST
VALUES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS WINDS CONTINUE TO BLOW
FROM THE NORTHEAST AND EAST.  OVERNIGHT...WINDS WILL BECOME
SOUTHEAST BUT SHOULD ALSO DIMINISH AS THE HURRICANE TAKES MOST OF THE
HIGHEST SEAS WITH IT WHILE CONTINUING WEST.  THUS...TIDES WILL RISE
AT MOST TO 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL EARLY WEDNESDAY.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BY 230 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

$$

BSG

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