[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KCRP 211705
HLSCRP
GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ242>247-221715-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1205 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE RITA MOVING WESTWARD...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF NUECES...CALHOUN...SAN
PATRICIO...ARANSAS...REFUGIO AND KLEBERG COUNTIES...

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...
THERE ARE NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
BEND.

...STORM INFORMATION...

.LOCATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
24.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 755 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
CORPUS CHRISTI.

.MOVEMENT...
HURRICANE RITA WAS MOVING WEST AT 13 MPH. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

.INTENSITY...
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 140 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. RITA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE. SOME
ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND
RITA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF
OF MEXICO.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.EVACUATION INFORMATION...

FOR NUECES COUNTY...THE MAYOR OF PORT ARANSAS HAS ISSUED A
MANDATORY EVACUATION OF PORT ARANSAS FOR NOON TODAY. A DECISION
FOR THE REST OF NUECES COUNTY WILL BE MADE BY THIS AFTERNOON.

FOR CALHOUN COUNTY...A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR THE COUNTY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.

FOR REFUGIO AND ARANSAS COUNTIES...A MANDATORY EVACUATION
ORDER WILL BE IN EFFECT AT 3 PM CDT.

FOR SAN PATRICIO COUNTY...A MANDATORY EVACUATION WILL BE
IN EFFECT AT 2 PM CDT.

FOR KLEBERG COUNTY...A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS CURRENTLY BEING
IMPLEMENTED FOR THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE. THE PARK
WILL BE CLOSED ON THURSDAY.

ALL RESIDENTS OF THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST SHOULD BE IN THE
PROCESS OF COMPLETING THEIR PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS TO PROTECT
LIFE AND PROPERTY.


...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY NEAR NORMAL ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS
COAST. HIGH SWELLS FROM HURRICANE RITA WILL AFFECT THE COAST BY
THURSDAY. TIDE LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 3 FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL ALONG AREA BEACHES DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. THIS
WILL CAUSE WATER TO FLOOD BEACHES AND BEACH ACCESS ROADS. IN
ADDITION...HIGH SWELLS WILL PRODUCE A GREATER RISK OF DANGEROUS
RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES AND SWIMMING IS NOT RECOMMENDED
AFTER TODAY.

MORE SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY MORNING AS WATER LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE AS HURRICANE RITA
APPROACHES.


...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE MIDDLE TEXAS
COAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

THE NEXT HURRICANE RITA STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 5 PM.

$$

TMT



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