[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 211622 AAA
HLSLCH
LAZ041>045-051>055-TXZ215-216-211730-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1120 AM CDT WED SEP 21 2005

...RITA REMAINS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE...WINDS NOW
ESTIMATED 140 MPH WINDS...

...A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING THURSDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES IN
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...CAMERON...CALCASIEU...JEFFERSON
DAVIS...ACADIA...VERMILION...LAFAYETTE...UPPER AND LOWER SAINT
MARTIN...IBERIA AND SAINT MARY PARISHES IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL LOUISIANA.

...WATCHES/WARNING...
A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING THURSDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA. A COASTAL
FLOOD WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR COASTAL FLOODING
DEVELOPING AS HURRICANE RITA NEARS. A HEAT ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT
FOR TODAY. PEOPLE THAT PLAN ON EVACUATING OR THOSE MAKING
PREPARATIONS FOR THE HURRICANE NEED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AND DRINK
PLENTY OF WATER.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM...THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 755 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS. THIS IS ALSO 595 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CAMERON LOUISIANA OR 620 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS
TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 13 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 140 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS A
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
EVACUATION INFORMATION...
CAMERON PARISH...AS OF 11 AM THE CAMERON PARISH OEP HAS ISSUED AN EVACUATION
FOR THE ENTIRE PARISH...NOW INCLUDING GRAND LAKE AND HACKBERRY.

CALCASIEU PARISH...AN EVACUATION IS RECOMMENDED FOR THE FOLLOWING:

AREAS IN SOUTHERN CALCASIEU PARISH THAT ARE AT AN ELEVATION AT OR
BELOW 8 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THIS INCLUDES AREAS ALONG THE CALCASIEU
SHIP CHANNEL...CALCASIEU RIVER...SABINE RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES OF
THESE RIVERS.

PERSONS LIVING IN UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IN MORE
SECURE LOCATIONS.

PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS...PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR
ELECTRICAL POWER SHOULD SEEK SAFE LOCATIONS WITH POWER.

A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS ORDERED FOR SAM HOUSTON JONES STATE PARK.

JEFFERSON COUNTY...SEA RIM STATE PARK IS NOW CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER
NOTICE.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING NEAR NORMAL ALONG THE COAST. SWELLS AHEAD
OF HURRICANE RITA WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE NEAR COASTAL WATERS
THURSDAY...WITH INCREASING COASTAL TIDES THURSDAY EVENING AND
CONTINUING WITH HURRICANE RITA'S PASSAGE. HURRICANE RITA IS SIMILAR
IN SIZE...STRENGTH AND TRACK TO HURRICANE CARLA IN 1961. THE STORM
SURGE IN CARLA RANGED FROM AROUND 4 FEET IN MORGAN CITY TO 6 1/2 FEET
AT CAMERON TO NEAR 10 FEET AT SABINE PASS. THESE AMOUNTS MAY BE USED
AS A GUIDELINE FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING IF HURRICANE
RITA CONTINUES ON ITS FORECAST TRACK.

...WIND IMPACTS...
ON RITA'S CURRENT PATH...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS GREATER
THAN 40 MPH ARE FORECAST TO REACH THE COASTAL WATERS ON THURSDAY
NIGHT. THESE SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS MAY IMPACT AREAS IN
SOUTHEAST TEXAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
WIND GUSTS ABOVE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN SQUALLS WILL BE
POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA SOUTH OF INTERSTATE
10 ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OR WIND GUSTS ABOVE
TROPICAL STORM FORCE...SOME POWER OUTAGES MAY OCCUR. ALSO RESIDENTS
SHOULD MOVE UNFASTENED ITEMS...SUCH AS GARBAGE CANS AND DECK
FURNITURE...INDOORS.

...RAINFALL...
SOME OF THE OUTER RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH RITA ARE EXPECTED TO
BEGIN FRIDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST TO BE UP TO 1 INCH OVER
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...AND 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST BY SATURDAY MORNING.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE RITA WILL BE ISSUED BY 1230 PM.

$$



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