[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 210029
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-210330-

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

...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE UPPER 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.
STORM SURGE INFORMATION UPDATED.
TORNADO IMPACTS UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS UPDATED.
RAINFALL IMPACTS.

...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 800 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 45 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF DRY TORTUGAS...AND ABOUT 65 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST
OF KEY WEST. HURRICANE RITA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 12 MPH...AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK
THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE EYEWALL WILL MOVE OVER OR JUST SOUTH OF
THE DRY TORTUGAS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 969 MB...OR 28.61
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...ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER KEYS. THIS MAY
INUNDATE SOME ROADS AND SECTIONS OF THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY. PORTIONS
OF SOUTH ROOSEVELT AND BERTHA STREET ARE UNDER AT LEAST ONE FOOT OF
WATER AND ARE NEARLY IMPASSABLE. THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY AT MILE MARKER
73.5 HAS BEEN CLEARED AND OPENED. HIGH TIDE AT KEY WEST HARBOR IS AT
1208 AM EARLY WEDNESDAY. THE STORM TIDES IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
KEYS ARE SLOWLY SUBSIDING.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH ARE OCCURRING
ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS. 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. DRIVING IS NOT SAFE...DUE TO STRONG CROSS
WINDS...RAIN...AND BLOWING SEA SPRAY. CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS GUSTS OF 74 TO 95 MPH ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE REEF MAINLY
SOUTH OF THE LOWER KEYS...AND OUT TO THE DRY TORTUGAS. 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. TREES AND
POWER POLES MAY BE TOPPLED AS WELL. MOBILE HOMES ARE NOT SAFE. ONLY
A FEW POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
KEYS...AND ABOUT 7000 RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT
POWER IN THE LOWER KEYS. POWER MAY BE OUT UNTIL THURSDAY EVENING FOR
SOME CUSTOMERS.

...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. SEVERAL TORNADO
WARNINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED THIS EVENING. 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. SO FAR TODAY...MIAMI RADAR RAINFALL TOTALS INDICATE
6 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE UPPER KEYS...NEAR KEY
LARGO...DOWN TO PLANTATION KEY. MOST OF THIS RAIN HAS FALLEN THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE UPPER
KEYS. 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 1130 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.

$$
SD

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