[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 221815
HLSLCH
LAZ041>045-051>055-TXZ215-216-222200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
115 PM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...RITA NOW A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE...BUT STILL AN EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS STORM...

...HURRICANE WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS AND
LOUISIANA COASTLINE...

...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 WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE COAST FROM PORT
OCONNOR TEXAS TO MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS
THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN
THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COUNTIES AND
PARISHES BETWEEN INTERSTATE 10 AND THE COASTLINE. THIS INCLUDES
JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND CALCASIEU...
JEFF DAVIS...ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...UPPER AND LOWER SAINT MARTIN...
CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA AND SAINT MARY PARISHES OF SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COUNTIES AND
PARISHES NORTH OF INTERSTATE 10. THIS INCLUDES HARDIN...TYLER...
JASPER AND NEWTON COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND BEAUREGARD...
ALLEN...EVANGELINE...SAINT LANDRY...VERNON...RAPIDES AND AVOYELLES
PARISHES OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1 PM CDT...1800Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.2 WEST. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT
430 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS...OR ABOUT 390 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CAMERON LOUISIANA.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN
TO THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS...AND THIS
TRACK WOULD BRING THE CENTER OF THE STORM ASHORE ALONG THE EXTREME
UPPER TEXAS COAST EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO 150 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. THIS MAKES RITA A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-
SIMPSON SCALE...AND STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING EXTREME DAMAGE ALONG
ITS PATH. A CONTINUED SLOW WEAKENING TREND IS FORECAST...BUT RITA IS
STILL EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST AS A MAJOR HURRICANE...AT LEAST A
CATEGORY THREE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 75 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 180
MILES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE FOLLOWING ARE CURRENT EVACUATION ORDERS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

ORANGE AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES...MANDATORY FOR ENTIRE COUNTIES.

CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES...MANDATORY FOR ENTIRE PARISH.

JEFF DAVIS PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 AND ALL
OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.

VERMILION PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 14 AND PEOPLE IN
ALL MOBILE HOMES OR SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS. VOLUNTARY FOR ALL OTHERS.

ACADIA PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 92 AND VOLUNTARY FOR
OTHERS IN LOW LYING AREAS.

ST. MARY PARISH...MANDATORY SOUTH OF THE INTRACOASTAL CANAL.

LOWER ST. MARTIN PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SPECIAL NEEDS PATIENTS AND
VOLUNTARY FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

IBERIA PARISH...VOLUNTARY FOR SOUTH OF HIGHWAYS 90 AND 14.

LAFAYETTE PARISH...VOLUNTARY FOR PEOPLE IN MOBILE HOMES... LOW-LYING
AREAS...AND PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE
ELECTRICITY.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS RECOMMEND THAT INDIVIDUALS TAKE
SUPPLIES TO LAST THEM FOR 3 TO 5 DAYS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
A SIGNIFICANT AND DEADLY STORM SURGE OF 15 TO 20 FEET WILL BE
POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE
COAST. THIS WOULD COVER THE COASTLINE FROM SEA RIM STATE PARK IN
JEFFERSON COUNTY TO CALCASIEU PASS IN CAMERON PARISH...INCLUDING
SABINE LAKE. THIS WILL BRING GULF WATERS AS FAR NORTH AS INTERSTATE
10 ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...INCLUDING THE
CITIES OF LAKE CHARLES AND SULPHUR LOUISIANA...AND ORANGE AND
BEAUMONT TEXAS.

STORM SURGE VALUES WILL DECREASE TO 10 TO 14 FEET FOR THE COASTLINE
OF EASTERN CAMERON AND VERMILION PARISHES...AND 6 TO 10 FEET AROUND
VERMILION AND ATCHAFALAYA BAYS.

BASED ON THE PROJECTED STORM SURGE VALUES...MAJOR RIVER FLOODING CAN
BE EXPECTED ALONG THE LOWER REACHES OF THE CALCASIEU...WHERE CRESTS
OF 9 TO 10 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED. MAJOR FLOODING IS ALSO LIKELY ALONG
THE MERMENTAU RIVER...WHERE CRESTS OF 7 TO 8 FEET ARE EXPECTED.

...WIND IMPACTS...
ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND THE BORDER PARISHES OF SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA...WILL EXPERIENCE EXTREME WINDS OF LONG DURATION AS THIS
LARGE SYSTEM TRACKS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST GULF AND INTO EAST TEXAS.
WINDS WILL INCREASE TO NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS TONIGHT...SPREADING INLAND ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10
ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGH FRIDAY. WINDS
WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS RITA NEARS THE
COASTLINE...RANGING FROM 40 TO 60 MPH...POSSIBLY REACHING HURRICANE
FORCE NEAR 80 MPH ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THESE WINDS WILL
FURTHER INCREASE TO 100 MPH OR GREATER BY EARLY SATURDAY
MORNING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES. WINDS
WILL VERY GRADUALLY DIMINISH SATURDAY ONCE THE SYSTEM MAKES LANDFALL
AND MOVES FURTHER NORTH INTO EAST-CENTRAL TEXAS.

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION DUE TO THE
EXTREME WINDS AND THE LENGTHY DURATION OF THEM. NUMEROUS TREES AND
POWER LINES WILL BE DOWNED...WITH WIDESPREAD AND EXTENDED POWER
OUTAGES LIKELY. SOME STRUCTURES WILL ALSO FAIL.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
EXTREME RAINFALL WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY RITA...WITH A STORM TOTAL OF 8
TO 12 INCHES EXPECTED. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT AS RITA APPROACHES THE
COASTLINE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE RITA WILL BE ISSUED BY 500 PM.

$$

ESCUDE/LOCKWOOD


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