[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 220310
HLSLIX
LAZ056-059-065>068-221000-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1000 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2005

...CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE
CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO...

...TROPICAL STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA FROM GRAND ISLE WEST TO CAMERON...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...THE FOLLOWING PARISHES

ASSUMPTION...LAFOURCHE...TERREBONNE...LOWER JEFFERSON

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREA FROM GRAND
ISLE TO CAMERON.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
WITH WINDS OF 40 MPH OR HIGHER...MAY OCCUR INTO THE WATCH AREA
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR
ASSUMPTION...TERREBONNE...LAFOURCHE...AND LOWER JEFFERSON PARISHES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.2 WEST...OR ABOUT 570 MILES
EAST SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS.

RITA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE
NEAR 175 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. HURRICANE RITA IS A EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. SOME
FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PERSONS LIVING IN LOW LYING AREAS NEAR BAYOUS AND COASTAL AREAS
PRONE TO STORM SURGE FLOODING SHOULD SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS TO MOVE
TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS FURTHER INLAND IF REQUESTED BY LOCAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.

ALSO PERSONS LIVING IN UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES...OR HOMES WEAKENED OR
DAMAGED BY RECENT HURRICANES SHOULD ALSO BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO MORE
SECURE STRUCTURES IF REQUESTED BY LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE NEAR NORMAL ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA. AS HURRICANE
RITA MOVES WESTWARD ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND WESTERN GULF...WINDS WILL
SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST AND TIDES WILL INCREASE ALONG THE LOUISIANA
COAST. TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL MAY OCCUR IN WATCH AREA FROM
LATE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION LARGE WAVES WILL
ALSO AFFECT THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREA AND INCREASE THE FLOOD THREAT.
FLOODING OF LOW LYING ROADWAYS AND AREAS NEAR BAYOUS MAY DEVELOP AS
THE TIDES INCREASE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
RITA IS A DEVELOPING INTO A LARGE HURRICANE WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES FROM THE CENTER. AS
HURRICANE RITA MOVES ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO...TROPICAL STORM WIND
GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH MAY REACH THE COASTAL AREA FROM GRAND ISLE
WESTWARD ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY SATURDAY
NIGHT.

...RAINFALL...
SHOWERS WILL BECOME SCATTERED ACROSS THE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON
AND BECOME MORE NUMEROUS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WITH LOCALIZED
HEAVY RAINFALL DEVELOPING. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF 2 TO 4 INCHES IS
LIKELY IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.


...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 430 AM CDT.

$$

This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net