[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KBRO 220902
HLSBRO
TXZ250-251-253>257-221215-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
400 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE RITA MOVING
WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO...
...HURRICANE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD...
...TROPICAL STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO
BROWNSVILLE...
...INLAND HURRICANE WATCH IN EFFECT FOR BROOKS AND KENEDY COUNTIES...
...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL AND INLAND
CAMERON AND WILLACY COUNTIES AND HIDALGO COUNTY...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS ACROSS
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE LOWER TEXAS COASTLINE WHICH INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES: KENEDY...WILLACY...CAMERON...BROOKS...AND
HIDALGO COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AT 4 AM CDT...A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO
BAFFIN BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM PORT MANSFIELD
TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 4 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.9
NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.0 WEST OR ABOUT 600 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF
PORT ISABEL TEXAS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 897 MILLIBARS.
RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS BEFORE A TURN
MORE TO THE NORTHWEST.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AT 4 AM CDT...ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO BE 3 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF SWELL ACTION
GENERATED BY RITA AND THE ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS WILL INUNDATE THE
BEACHES AND DUNES OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS BY THIS EVENING. THE LARGE
AMOUNT OF WATER BEING FORCED INTO THE LOWER TEXAS COAST WILL CAUSE
FLOODING OF BEACHES AND BEACH ACCESS ROADS BEGINNING TONIGHT.

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT 4 AM CDT...MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WITH RITA ARE 175 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. WINDS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN
IMPACTING THE LOWER TEXAS COAST FRIDAY.

...OTHER IMPACTS...
THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL INCREASE TO HIGH BY THIS AFTERNOON
AS SWELL ACTION AND HEAVY SURF BEGIN TO IMPACT THE LOWER TEXAS
COAST.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE STATEMENT REGARDING RITA WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 7
AM CDT.

$$

BC



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