[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 220457
HLSLCH
LAZ041>045-051>055-TXZ215-216-220700-

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

...RITA NOW THE THIRD MOST INTENSE HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN
ON RECORD AND CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN. RITA IS A POTENTIALLY
CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 175
MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

...HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF THE LOUISIANA AND TEXAS COAST...

...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 HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS TO CAMERON
LOUISIANA. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF CAMERON
LOUISIANA TO GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 PM CDT...THE EYE OF CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 24.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.2 WEST...OR ABOUT 570 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS. THIS IS ALSO 520 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF CAMERON LOUISIANA OR 565 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 9 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH A SLIGHTLY
FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 175 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS
AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
CAMERON PARISH...THE CAMERON PARISH OEP HAS ISSUED AN EVACUATION FOR
THE ENTIRE PARISH...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.

MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY HAS CANCELLED CLASSES FOR THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY AND THE SATURDAY FOOTBALL GAME HAS BEEN POSTPONED.

JEFFERSON COUNTY...A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF SABINE PASS WILL BEGIN
AT 6 AM THURSDAY. A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE COUNTY.

ALSO...SEA RIM STATE PARK IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

ORANGE COUNTY...A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE
COUNTY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING SLIGHTLY ABOVE 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 7 1/2 FEET AT PORT ARTHUR 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
AND INTENSITY.

...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...WITH GUSTS TO OVER 60 MPH.

SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO
60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN CAMERON PARISH AND IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ALONG
AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 ON LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY
MORNING. WIND GUSTS ABOVE TROPICAL STORM FORCE BETWEEN 40 TO 50 MPH
IN SQUALLS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 ON LATE FRIDAY
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OR WIND GUSTS ABOVE TROPICAL STORM FORCE...SOME
POWER OUTAGES MAY OCCUR ALONG WITH A FEW TREES BEING BLOWN DOWN. 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 2 TO 4 INCHES
OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...AND 3 TO 5 INCHES OVER
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST BY SATURDAY MORNING.
ISOLATED HIGHER RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IF ANY HEAVY
RAINBAND TRAINS OVER THE SAME LOCATION.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE RITA WILL BE ISSUED BY 0200
A.M.




$$

WILEY




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