[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 211222 AAA
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-211530-

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

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE MARQUESAS KEYS
WESTWARD THROUGH THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS 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.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST...OR ABOUT 130 MILES WEST
OF THE DRY TORTUGAS...AND ABOUT 195 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 135 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 948 MB...OR 28.00 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS ALLOWED RESIDENTS OF THE
FLORIDA KEYS TO RETURN AS OF 700 AM TODAY. TOURISTS WILL BE ALLOWED
TO RETURN STARTING AT 700 AM FRIDAY. FISHERMANS HOSPITAL IN MARATHON
WILL REOPEN AT 1000 AM THIS MORNING. LOWER KEYS MEDICAL CENTER WILL
REOPEN AT NOON TODAY.

...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 35
TO 45 MPH WILL BE COMMON THIS MORNING IN 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 6
TO 12 FEET THIS MORNING.

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

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE RITA ON
THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE ISSUED AT ABOUT 1130 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.

$$
BS

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