[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 210850
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>33-052>054-072>075-211230-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
450 AM EDT WED SEP 21 2005

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING DISCONTINUED FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO
KEY WEST...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE MARQUESAS KEYS
WESTWARD THROUGH THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...FLOOD WATCH DISCONTINUED...
...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM INFORMATION UPDATED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS UPDATED.
STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS SECTION REMOVED.
MARINE IMPACTS UPDATED.
RAINFALL IMPACTS UPDATED.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY
INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE MARQUESAS KEYS
THROUGH THE DRY TORTUGAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH...ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM
THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. THE FLOOD
WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN DISCONTINUED.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 110 MILES WEST
OF THE DRY TORTUGAS...AND ABOUT 175 MILES WEST OF KEY WEST.
HURRICANE RITA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 14 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 956 MB...OR 28.23 INCHES OF MERCURY.

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

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS ARE OCCURRING OVER THE WATERS BETWEEN THE MARQUESAS KEYS AND
THE DRY TORTUGAS. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS HAVE FALLEN BELOW TROPICAL
STORM FORCE FROM OCEAN REEF TO KEY WEST. HOWEVER...WIND GUSTS OF 40
TO 50 MPH WILL BE COMMON THIS MORNING IN NUMEROUS SQUALLS WITHIN
SPIRAL RAINBANDS THROUGHOUT THE KEYS. NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS ARE STILL
WITHOUT POWER IN THE LOWER KEYS. FEW POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEEN
REPORTED IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. SEAS
BEYOND THE REEF AND IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM 7
TO 12 FEET THIS MORNING.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN OUTER SPIRAL RAINBANDS MOVING
THROUGH THE FLORIDA KEYS THIS MORNING.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
THE FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR ALL FLORIDA KEYS. AN
ADDITIONAL 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE TODAY. HOWEVER...
THE FLOOD THREAT FROM RAIN WATER HAS DIMINISHED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE RITA ON
THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE ISSUED AT ABOUT 830 AM 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.

$$

K. KASPER
J. RIZZO




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