[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 220947
HLSLIX
LAZ056-059-065>070-MSZ080-082-221600-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
500 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE UPPER
TEXAS COAST...

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL AREAS OF
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FROM THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO
MORGAN CITY...

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

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREAS FROM THE
MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO MORGAN CITY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
WITH WINDS OF 40 MPH OR HIGHER...MAY OCCUR INTO THE WATCH AREA
WITHIN 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREAS FROM
INTRACOASTAL CITY WESTWARD TO PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS. A HURRICANE WATCH
MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN
THE NEXT 36 HOURS.

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

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL AREAS FROM
PASCAGOULA TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER INCLUDING THE
PARISHES AROUND LAKES PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 4 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
24.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88 WEST...OR ABOUT 515 MILES 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 WILL START TO INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON. 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 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL MAY OCCUR ALONG THE SOUTH
MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COASTS LATE TODAY THROUGH AND
INCREASE TO 3 TO 5 FEET BY SATURDAY AS WINDS BECOME MORE
SOUTHEASTERLY. 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 HAS DEVELOPED 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 THE MOUTH OF
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WESTWARD TONIGHT 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 1030 AM CDT.

$$



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