[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KCRP 222134
HLSCRP
GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ232>234-242>247-230200-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
430 PM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA HEADING TOWARD THE UPPER TEXAS
   COAST...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF CALHOUN...NUECES...
SAN PATRICIO...ARANSAS...REFUGIO...GOLIAD...BEE...VICTORIA 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.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT 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 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE
TEXAS COASTAL COUNTIES OF KLEBERG...NUECES...BEE...SAN PATRICIO...
REFUGIO...ARANSAS...CALHOUN...GOLIAD AND VICTORIA.


...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 4 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
25.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.5 WEST...OR ABOUT 505 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 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK
HURRICANE RITA WILL BE APPROACHING THE UPPER TEXAS COAST FRIDAY
EVENING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA
REMAINS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.


...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.EVACUATION INFORMATION...

MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
COUNTIES OF CALHOUN...GOLIAD AND ARANSAS.

VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDERS ARE IN PLACE FOR THE COASTAL BEND
COUNTIES OF BEE...VICTORIA...REFUGIO...JIM WELLS AND NUECES.

FOR CORPUS CHRISTI...A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN PLACE
FOR THE CITY. MANDATORY EVACUATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS HAS BEEN RESCINDED. THE CITY WILL STOP EVACUATING THOSE
WITHOUT MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION WHO WISH TO BE EVACUATED AT 6 PM.

FOR PORT ARANSAS...A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN PLACE.
THE BEACHES REMAIN CLOSED.

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


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

SWELLS FROM HURRICANE RITA ARE CONTINUING TO MOVE INTO THE
OFFSHORE WATERS WITH SEAS OF 8 TO 9 FEET OCCURRING 20 TO 60
NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. SEAS
WILL RISE TO 12 TO 16 FEET BY FRIDAY MORNING AND 20 TO 25 FEET
FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

TIDE LEVELS ARE AROUND A HALF OF A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE
MIDDLE TEXAS COAST THIS AFTERNOON FROM PORT ARANSAS NORTH TO PORT
O'CONNOR. THE HIGH SWELLS AFFECTING THE COAST TONIGHT WILL OCCUR
ALONG WITH THE ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES LATE THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL PUSH TIDE LEVELS 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. THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE REPORTED
THE WATER HAD REACHED THE DUNES THIS AFTERNOON.

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. 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...WITH SPEEDS OF 40 MPH TO POSSIBLY 50 MPH...COULD REACH
THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAINLY NORTH OF CORPUS
CHRISTI TO PORT OCONNOR.

THE NEXT HURRICANE STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 8 PM CDT THIS
EVENING.

$$

TMT
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