[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 202149 AAA
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-210030-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
550 PM 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...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS UPDATED.
WIND 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 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 500 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST...OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH
TO SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. HURRICANE RITA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 15 MPH.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF RITA WILL PASS OVER THE FLORIDA
STRAITS BETWEEN CUBA AND THE MARQUESAS KEYS THIS EVENING. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 973 MB...OR 28.73 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
WILL ALLOW RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS TO RETURN STARTING AT 700
AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL ALLOW
TOURISTS VISITING THE FLORIDA KEYS TO RETURN STARTING AT 700 AM
FRIDAY MORNING.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TOTAL STORM TIDES OF 4 TO 6 FEET ARE EXPECTED...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. THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY AT 73.5 MILE MARKER IS EXPECTED TO
BE CLEARED AT AROUND 800 PM. 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. STORM SURGE WILL OVERSPREAD SOUTH ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD
THIS EVENING AS WINDS BECOME SOUTHEASTERLY. HIGH TIDE AT WHALE
HARBOR CHANNEL IS AT 1129 PM TODAY. HIGH TIDE AT KEY WEST HARBOR IS
AT 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 WIND
GUSTS OF 74 TO 95 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER KEYS FROM
SUGARLOAF KEY TO KEY WEST THIS EVENING. CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS GUSTS OF 74 TO 95 MPH ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE REEF SOUTH OF
THE LOWER AND MIDDLE KEYS. BETWEEN 445 PM AND 500 PM EDT...THE
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER RECEIVED AN UNOFFICIAL REPORT OF SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 75 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 102 MPH IN THE KEY WEST AREA.
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 EVENING...AND MARINAS MAY
BE FLOODED. SMALL CRAFT IN UNPROTECTED ANCHORAGES WILL BE TORN FROM
MOORINGS. SEAS WILL BE 15 TO 20 FEET BEYOND THE REEF TONIGHT...WITH
SEAS OF 25 TO 30 FEET EXPECTED 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 TONIGHT.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT. RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS 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 830 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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