[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 201714 AAB
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-201830-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
120 PM EDT TUE SEP 20 2005

...RITA NOW A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE...
...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.

...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 IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS. A TORNADO WATCH
MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES IN AND CLOSE TO
THE WATCH AREA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.0 WEST...OR ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTH
OF MARATHON...AND ABOUT 75 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST. HURRICANE
RITA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 15 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER
OF RITA WILL PASS OVER THE FLORIDA STRAITS...JUST SOUTH OF THE LOWER
KEYS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. AT 115 PM EDT...MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE RITA HAVE INCREASED TO CATEGORY TWO STATUS
AND ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 978 MB...OR 28.88 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL STORM PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETE 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...KEY
WEST HIGH SCHOOL...2100 FLAGLER AVENUE. HARVEY GOVERNMENT CENTER...
1200 TRUMAN AVENUE. CROWN PLAZA LA CONCHA...403 DUVAL STREET. WYNDAM
CASA MARINA RESORT...1500 REYNOLDS STREET. ON MARATHON...STANLEY
SWITLIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...MILE MARKER 48. 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 AVENUE. 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 6 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 SECTIONS OF THE
OVERSEAS HIGHWAY. THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL HAS REPORTED WATER AND
WAVE ACTION OVER THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. THE
OVERSEAS HIGHWAY AT 73.5 MILE MARKER IS IMPASSABLE AND HAS BEEN
BARRICADED TO ALL TRAFFIC. OTHER SPECIFIC AREAS ON THE OVERSEAS
HIGHWAY WHICH ARE SEEING ENCROACHING WATER INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING...
MILE MARKER 11...MILE MARKERS 34 THROUGH 35...MILE MARKER 58...MILE
MARKER 62...MILE MARKER 68...MILE MARKERS 85 THROUGH 87...AND MILE
MARKER 110. HIGH TIDES AT WHALE HARBOR CHANNEL IS AT 1129 PM TODAY.
HIGH TIDES AT KEY WEST HARBOR ARE AT 230 PM TODAY...1208 AM EARLY
WEDNESDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH ARE OCCURRING
ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS. SUSTAINED CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS OF 74 TO 95 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER KEYS...FROM
SUGARLOAF KEY TO KEY WEST THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA
KEYS MAY RECEIVE SOME ROOF DAMAGE TO POORLY CONSTRUCTED HOMES AND
BUSINESSES. A FEW TREES AND POWER POLES MAY BE TOPPLED AS WELL.
MOBILE HOMES ARE NOT SAFE. POWER OUTAGES HAVE OCCURRED IN MANY
ISLAND COMMUNITIES. POWER WILL BE OUT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF
TIME.

...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 HURRICANE
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 INTO THIS EVENING.

...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.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE RITA ON
THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE ISSUED AT ABOUT 230 PM 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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