[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 221538
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-056>070-221900-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1030 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

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

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

...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
COASTAL FROM THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE PEARL RIVER
INCLUDING METRO NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN...

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

ASSUMPTION...LAFOURCHE...TERREBONNE...JEFFERSON...ORLEANS...ST
TAMMANY...WASHINGTON...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST...ST CHARLES...ST
BERNARD...PLAQUEMINES...

...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 IN THE WATCH AREA
WITHIN 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM NORTH OF THE MOUTH OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER INCLUDING
METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE IN 36 HOURS.

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL AREAS FROM
PASCAGOULA TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 460 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS.

RITA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST AT 9 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN TO
THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

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...TRAILERS OR HOMES
STRUCTURALLY WEAKENED BY RECENT HURRICANES SHOULD ALSO MAKE PLANS
TO MOVE TO MORE SECURE STRUCTURES.

...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 FRIDAY AND 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
WINDS 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...AND POTENTIALLY SPREAD INTO THE METRO NEW ORLEANS
AREA FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

...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 3 TO 5 INCHES IS
LIKELY IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.

...NEW INFORMATION...
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THE MOUTH OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE PEARL RIVER...INCLUDING THE METRO NEW
ORLEANS AREA AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 130 PM CDT.

$$

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