[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KCRP 221647
HLSCRP
GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ231>234-241>247-222000-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1145 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA REMAINS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF CALHOUN...NUECES...SAN
PATRICIO...ARANSAS...REFUGIO...GOLIAD...VICTORIA...LIVE OAK...JIM
WELLS AND KLEBERG COUNTIES...

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
SHOWS HURRICANE RITA MAKING LANDFALL JUST EAST OF GALVESTON
TEXAS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

THE HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING FROM PORT O'CONNOR SOUTH TO PORT MANSFIELD. THIS
INCLUDES ALL OF THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT
O'CONNOR. THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING INCLUDES KLEBERG...NUECES
...SAN PATRICIO...ARANSAS...REFUGIO AND CALHOUN COUNTIES. A
HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST
FROM PORT O'CONNOR NORTHWARD TO SABINE PASS.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
MIDDLE TEXAS COASTAL COUNTIES OF KLEBERG...NUECES...BEE...SAN
PATRICIO...REFUGIO...ARANSAS...CALHOUN...GOLIAD AND VICTORIA.


...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 565 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI.

RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN
TO THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 165 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA
REMAINS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE. SOME
WEAKENING MAY BE POSSIBLE TODAY...BUT RITA IS STILL EXPECTED TO
MAKE LANDFALL AS A MAJOR HURRICANE OVER THE UPPER TEXAS COAST
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.


...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.EVACUATION INFORMATION...

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS CONTINUE IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES
OF CALHOUN...REFUGIO...GOLIAD...VICTORIA...KLEBERG...NUECES AND
ARANSAS.

FOR CORPUS CHRISTI...THE MAYOR HAS STOPPED THE MANDATORY EVACUATION
OF THE CITY. VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS CAN STILL PROCEED. MANDATORY
EVACUATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS HAS BEEN RESCINDED.
THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO EVACUATE THOSE WITHOUT MEANS OF
TRANSPORTATION WHO WISH TO BE EVACUATED TO SHELTERS IN SAN
ANTONIO.

FOR SAN PATRICIO COUNTY...THE MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER HAS
BEEN SUSPENDED.

FOR LIVE OAK COUNTY...VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS ARE IN EFFECT.

ALL RESIDENTS ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST SHOULD CONTINUE TO
COMPLETE THEIR PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.


...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...

SWELLS FROM HURRICANE RITA ARE BEGINNING TO MOVE INTO THE OFFSHORE
WATERS WITH SEAS OF 6 TO 7 FEET OCCURRING 40 TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES
OFFSHORE FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. SEAS WILL RISE TO 8 TO
10 FEET THIS AFTERNOON AND AND REACH 12 TO 16 FEET BY FRIDAY
MORNING.

TIDE LEVELS ARE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS
COAST THIS MORNING. THE HIGH SWELLS AFFECTING THE COAST TONIGHT
WILL PUSH TIDE LEVELS POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE MEAN
SEA LEVEL ALONG AREA BEACHES. IF THE TIDES DO REACH 3 TO 4 FEET
ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL...THERE WILL BE FLOODING OF BEACHES AND BEACH
ACCESS ROADS. IN ADDITION...HIGH SWELLS WILL PRODUCE VERY ROUGH
SURF AND A GREATER RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA
BEACHES. SWIMMING OR SURFING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

MORE SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY MORNING DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TRACK AND STRENGTH OF RITA.
IF RITA REMAINS ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE FLOODING IMPACT WILL
NOT BE AS HIGH AS PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED OVER THE TEXAS COASTAL BEND
REGION.  HOWEVER...IT IS STILL TOO SOON TO HAVE VERY HIGH CONFIDENCE
ON THE DETAILS OF COASTAL FLOODING. AREA RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO
CONTINUE MONITORING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

...WIND IMPACTS...

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF RITA...TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS COULD REACH THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON
MAINLY NORTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI TO PORT OCONNOR.

THE NEXT HURRICANE STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 2 PM CDT
THIS AFTERNOON.

$$

TMT
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