[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 222145
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-056>070-230100-

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

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

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
INCLUDING LAKE PONTCHARTAIN AND NEW ORLEANS METRO AREA...

...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 AREA FROM
EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF PEARL RIVER. THIS INCLUDES THE
METRO NEW ORLEANS AREA AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

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.

INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF INTERIOR
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FOR THE STRONG LIKLIEHOOD OF WIND
GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 4 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.5 WEST...OR ABOUT 230 MILES
SOUTH OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

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 145 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE RITA IS A EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR 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 MOVE TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS
FURTHER INLAND IF REQUESTED BY LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. SEVERAL
PARISHES IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA HAVE MANDATORY AND OR VOLUNTARY
EVACUATIONS IN PROGRESS AT THIS TIME..AND RESIDENTS SHOULD LISTEN TO
MEDIA FOR LATEST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.

ALSO PERSONS LIVING IN UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES...TRAILERS...TENTS 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 ARE 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LATE 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 TONIGHT
AND INCREASE TO 3 TO 5 FEET FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS WINDS BECOME MORE
SOUTHEASTERLY. STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL CAN BE
EXPECTED IN LAKES PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS. 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 WILL
LIKELY OCCUR AS THE TIDES INCREASE. THE COASTAL AREAS ARE MORE
VULNERABLE TO COASTAL TIDAL FLOODING DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE
KATRINA SEVERAL WEEKS AGO...AND MANY HURRICANE PROTECTION LEVEES IN
THE NEW ORLEANS AREA HAVE BEEN DEGRADED.

...WIND IMPACTS...
RITA HAS DEVELOPED INTO A LARGE HURRICANE WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 205 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. TROPICAL STORM WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH MAY SPREAD
INTO METRO NEW ORLEANS AREA...MAINLY FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME
ASSOCIATED WITH SQUALLS. EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE TO SECURE LOOSE
DEBRIS AT THIS TIME.

...RAINFALL...
SQUALLS HAVE BECOME SCATTERED ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL
BECOME MORE NUMEROUS TONIGHT...AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.
LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL MAY DEVELOP WITH THESE SQUALLS. STORM TOTAL
RAINFALL OF 3 TO 5 INCHES IS LIKELY IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.
DEBRIS FROM HURRICANE KATRINA DAMAGE REMAINS IN DRAINAGE CANALS WHICH
MAY HINDER RAINFALL RUNOFF. PUMPING STATION CAPACITY STILL REMAINS
DEGRADED DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA.

...NEW INFORMATION...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF COASTAL
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...INCLUDING THE METRO NEW ORLEANS AREA AND LAKE
PONTCHARTRAIN.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 730 PM CDT.

$$

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