[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 210303
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-210630-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1100 PM EDT TUE SEP 20 2005

...HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO RAPIDLY INTENSIFY WHILE TRACKING
STEADILY WEST INTO THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO...

...TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS FROM ENGLEWOOD TO BONITA BEACH HAVE BEEN
DISCONTINUED...

...NEW INFORMATION...
CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY WITH MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 110 MPH.  TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS FROM
BONITA BEACH TO ENGLEWOOD HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL OR SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 PM EDT... THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.2 WEST OR ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHWEST OF FORT MYERS. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 310 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
TAMPA.  RITA IS MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED EAST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ABOUT
MIDNIGHT...THEN DECREASE LATE TONIGHT.  GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE
STILL POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT IN SQUALLS...MAINLY IN LEE AND CHARLOTTE
COUNTIES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE THREAT OF FLOODING IS MINIMAL...AS THE SOLID AREA OF HEAVY RAIN
ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE RITA HAS REMAINED SOUTH OF THE AREA.  BRIEF
PONDING OF STREETS OR LOW LYING AREAS IS POSSIBLE WITH HEAVIER RAIN
SQUALLS.

IN FACT...THE HEAVIEST RAIN MAY OCCUR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IN
THE TROPICAL AIRMASS ON THE EAST SIDE OF HURRICANE RITA.

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.

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

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SOUTH OF ENGLEWOOD...WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT 20 TO 30 KNOTS ACROSS THE
COASTAL WATERS OVERNIGHT...WITH GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS IN SQUALLS. SEAS
WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS HURRICANE RITA MOVES INTO THE
GULF OF MEXICO. SEAS WILL BUILD OVERNIGHT TO 10 TO 14 FEET BETWEEN 20
AND 60 NM OFFSHORE AND PERSIST INTO WEDNESDAY.

SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE THREAT OF TORNADOES IS MINIMAL TONIGHT OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
AS THE STRONGEST RAINBANDS WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF THE AREA.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THERE IS NO THREAT OF SURGE. IN FACT...TIDES WILL RUN BELOW FORECAST
VALUES THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT AS WINDS CONTINUE FROM THE EAST.

LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...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 ON WEDNESDAY.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THIS IS THE LAST HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT THAT WILL BE ISSUED FROM
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN RUSKIN ON HURRICANE RITA.

$$

EO

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