[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KHGX 210953
HLSHGX
GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ200-213-214-226-227-235>238-211700-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
450 AM CDT WED SEP 21 2005

...RITA CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN...
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH ISSUED FOR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF...GALVESTON...JACKSON...
MATAGORDA...FORT BEND...WHARTON...HARRIS...BRAZORIA...LIBERTY AND
CHAMBERS COUNTIES...

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...
A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST FOR
THURSDAY NIGHT.

...CURRENT STORM INFORMATION...

.LOCATION...
AT 4 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
24.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 720 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
GALVESTON TEXAS.

.MOVEMENT...
HURRICANE RITA WAS MOVING WEST AT 14 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

.INTENSITY...
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS
EXPECTED TO BECOME A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE LATER TODAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.EVACUATION INFORMATION...
FOR GALVESTON AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES...VOLUNTARY EVACUATION IS IN
PROGRESS.  MANDATORY EVACUATION OF NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED-LIVING
FACILITIES WILL BEGIN AT 6 AM THIS MORNING.  ON GALVESTON
ISLAND... BUSES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE ISLAND COMMUNITY CENTER ON
BROADWAY THIS MORNING AFTER 10 AM FOR PERSONS WITH NO OTHER MEANS
OF TRANSPORTATION. IF THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OF RITA'S TRACK
IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS...A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF GALVESTON AND
BRAZORIA COUNTIES IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AT 6 PM TODAY.

VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS ARE ALSO IN PROGRESS THIS EVENING FOR LOW LYING
AREAS OF CHAMBERS COUNTY... HARRIS COUNTY... AND THE CITIES OF
HOUSTON...SEABROOK AND BAYTOWN

DECISIONS CONCERNING EVACUATIONS FOR OTHER COUNTIES AND COMMUNITIES
WILL BE MADE TODAY.

.SCHOOL...GOVERNMENT...AND HOSPITAL FACILITY CLOSINGS...
MOST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GALVESTON...BRAZORIA...AND
SOUTHERN HARRIS COUNTIES WILL BE CLOSED BEGINNING TODAY. IN
ADDITION...ALL SCHOOLS IN THE SAN JACINTO COLLEGE DISTRICT AND
BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE WILL BE CLOSED BEGINNING TODAY. GALVESTON
COUNTY GOVERNMENT FACILITIES WILL ALSO BE CLOSED BEGINNING TODAY.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH (UTMB) IN GALVESTON WILL BE
CLOSING ALL FACILITIES AT 8 AM THIS MORNING. NO MEDICAL CARE WILL BE
AVAILABLE AT UTMB HOSPITAL FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.

.STORM SURGE AND TIDES...
TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING NEAR NORMAL ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS
COAST. TIDE LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BEGIN RISING ON
THURSDAY AS SWELLS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE RITA BEGIN PROPAGATING
ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS. THIS POTENTIAL WATER LEVEL RISE COUPLED
WITH THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE BEGINNING THURSDAY EVENING AND PERSISTING
DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN MINOR COASTAL FLOODING ACROSS THE LOWEST AREAS ALONG THE
COAST AND ADJACENT TO THE BAYS. MORE SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING IS
EXPECTED TO OCCUR AT THE SUBSEQUENT HIGH TIDE CYCLE WHICH WILL BEGIN
FRIDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE HIGH TIDE TIMES FOR THURSDAY EVENING AND EARLY
FRIDAY MORNING...AS WELL AS THE PREDICTED WATER LEVELS.

LOCATION          HIGH TIDE TIME     EXPECTED WATER LEVEL
                                     RELATIVE TO MEAN LOWER LOW WATER

PLEASURE PIER      937 PM CDT THU    4.5 FEET

PORT BOLIVAR      1123 PM CDT THU    3.7 FEET

GALVESTON CHANNEL 1109 PM CDT THU    3.7 FEET

SAN LUIS PASS     1100 PM CDT THU    3.5 FEET

JAMAICA BEACH      147 AM CDT FRI    3.2 FEET

MORGANS POINT      930 AM CDT FRI    3.2 FEET

EAGLE POINT        303 AM CDT FRI    3.2 FEET

FREEPORT           949 PM CDT FRI    4.2 FEET

PORT OCONNOR       451 AM CDT FRI    3.3 FEET

CLEAR LAKE         514 AM CDT FRI    3.1 FEET

.WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO REACH THE UPPER TEXAS
COAST UNTIL FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

.RAINFALL...
NO SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IS EXPECTED ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST
THROUGH THURSDAY.

FOR MORE TROPICAL WEATHER INFORMATION...SEE THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV OR THE WEB PAGE OF THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX.

THE NEXT HURRICANE RITA STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 11 AM CDT.

$$

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