[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KHGX 222223 CCA
HLSHGX
GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-
235>238-230400-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTED INTENSITY SECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
522 PM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...RITA WEAKENS SLIGHTLY TO A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE BUT REMAINS A
THREAT FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

...HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST...

...INLAND HURRICANE WARNING FOR COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

...INLAND HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF...GALVESTON...
AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...BRAZOS...BURLESON...CHAMBERS...COLORADO...FORT
BEND...GALVESTON...GRIMES...HARRIS...HOUSTON...JACKSON...LIBERTY...
MADISON...MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...POLK...SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...
WALKER...WALLER...WASHINGTON...AND WHARTON COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...
HURRICANE WARNING FOR ALL OF THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

INLAND HURRICANE WARNING FOR COASTAL PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

INLAND HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

...CURRENT STORM INFORMATION...

.LOCATION...
AT 4 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
25.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.5 WEST...OR ABOUT 405 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
GALVESTON TEXAS.

.MOVEMENT...
HURRICANE RITA WAS MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST AT 9 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CORE OF RITA WILL BE APPROACHING THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
AND THE UPPER TEXAS COAST LATE FRIDAY.

.INTENSITY...
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 145 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
RITA IS A 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...
FOR JACKSON COUNTY...
MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN DECLARED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

FOR MATAGORDA COUNTY...
MANDATORY EVACUATION IN EFFECT FOR EVERYONE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
HIGHWAY 35 AT THE BRAZORIA COUNTY LINE TO MARKHAM THEN SOUTH ON
HIGHWAY 2431 TO MIDFIELD AND THEN SOUTH ON HIGHWAY 111 TO THE COUNTY
LINE. THIS CURRENTLY EXCLUDES BAY CITY AND VAN VLECK.

ALTHOUGH TRAFFIC HAS BEEN HEAVY AS THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN HAS
BEEN IMPLEMENTED...TRAFFIC MOVEMENT SHOULD ACCELERATE AS CONTRA-FLOW
PLANS ARE IMPLEMENTED. DO NOT LET THE TRAFFIC DELAYS HALT YOUR EFFORTS
TO EVACUATE.

FOR HARRIS COUNTY...
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR ZONE A.  ZONES B AND C BEGAN
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS THIS MORNING AT 6 AM.

FOR GALVESTON AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES...
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR ZONE A.  ZONE B STARTED A
MANDATORY EVACUATION IN EFFECT AT 2 AM.  ZONE C STARTED MANDATORY
EVACUATION 6 AM. THE PEARLAND OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS
ISSUED A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR THOSE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS...THOSE
IN MOBILE HOMES OR OTHER NON-STURDY STRUCTURES...AND FOR THOSE WITH
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION.

LIBERTY COUNTY...
LIBERTY COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS ISSUED A MANDATORY
EVACUATION FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. EVACUEES SHOULD TRAVEL NORTH ON
HIGHWAY 321 AND HIGHWAY 146.  SPECIAL NEEDS INDIVIDUALS IN NEED OF
TRANSPORTATION SHOULD CONTACT THE SHERIFFS OFFICE.

FOR FORT BEND...
VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS IN EFFECT.

FOR WHARTON...
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS BEGAN AT 6 AM.

FOR POLK COUNTY...
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THOSE IN FLOOD PRONE
AREAS...THOSE IN MOBILE HOMES OR OTHER NON-STURDY STRUCTURES.

.SCHOOL...GOVERNMENT...AND HOSPITAL FACILITY CLOSINGS...
MANY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GALVESTON...BRAZORIA...
MATAGORDA...JACKSON...CHAMBERS...AND HARRIS COUNTIES ARE CLOSED.

LAMAR...NEEDVILLE...AND FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE
CLOSED.

IN ADDITION...ALL SCHOOLS IN THE SAN JACINTO COLLEGE DISTRICT AND
BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE ARE CLOSED.  GALVESTON COUNTY GOVERNMENT FACILITIES
ARE CLOSED TODAY.  THE JAMAICA BEACH OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
IS CLOSED.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH (UTMB) IN GALVESTON IS CLOSED.  NO
MEDICAL CARE WILL BE AVAILABLE AT UTMB HOSPITAL FROM THIS POINT
FORWARD.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING 1 FOOT OF NORMAL ALONG THE
UPPER TEXAS COAST.  TIDE LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BEGIN RISING
TODAY AS SWELLS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE RITA BEGIN PROPAGATING
ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS.  THIS POTENTIAL WATER LEVEL RISE COUPLED
WITH THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE TONIGHT MAY RESULT IN MINOR COASTAL FLOODING
ACROSS THE LOWEST AREAS ALONG THE COAST AND ADJACENT TO THE BAYS.
AS HURRICANE RITA MOVES INLAND...WATER LEVELS COULD RISE TO
7 FEET IN SOME LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY THE EASTERN END OF GALVESTON
BAY SATURDAY.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE HIGH TIDE TIMES FOR THURSDAY EVENING AND EARLY
FRIDAY MORNING...AS WELL AS THE PREDICTED WATER LEVELS.

LOCATION          HIGH TIDE TIME     EXPECTED WATER LEVEL
                                     RELATIVE TO MEAN LOWER LOW
WATER

PLEASURE PIER      937 PM CDT THU    4.7 FEET

PORT BOLIVAR      1123 PM CDT THU    3.9 FEET

GALVESTON CHANNEL 1109 PM CDT THU    4.4 FEET

SAN LUIS PASS     1100 PM CDT THU    3.7 FEET

JAMAICA BEACH      147 AM CDT FRI    3.9 FEET

MORGANS POINT      930 AM CDT FRI    3.5 FEET

EAGLE POINT        303 AM CDT FRI    3.4 FEET

FREEPORT           949 PM CDT THU    4.4 FEET

PORT OCONNOR       451 AM CDT FRI    3.6 FEET

CLEAR LAKE         514 AM CDT FRI    3.5 FEET

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...39 MPH OR GREATER...ARE EXPECTED TO
REACH THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AROUND NOON FRIDAY AND SPREAD INLAND
TO THE INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR BY LATE AFTERNOON.  THE TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO PUSH NORTHWARD ACROSS THE REMAINDER
OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS BY AROUND MIDNIGHT.

THE ONSET OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED AT THE COAST LATE
FRIDAY EVENING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD
INLAND ACROSS THE EASTERN 1/4 PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...GENERALLY
EAST OF INTERSTATE 45...THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF FRIDAY NIGHT AND
INTO SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ASSUMING THE RITA FOLLOWS THE FORECAST TRACK
...LISTED BELOW ARE ESTIMATED WINDS SELECTED COUNTIES CAN EXPECT.
KEEP IN MIND THEY WILL BE HIGHER TO THE EAST AND NOT AS STRONG TOWARD
MATAGORDA BAY:

COUNTY      SUSTAINED WINDS (MPH)   PEAK GUST (MPH)
CHAMBERS    125                     155
LIBERTY     115                     140
POLK        100                     130
GALVESTON    90                     110
HARRIS       75                      90
SAN JACINTO  75                      90
TRINITY      75                      90
BRAZORIA     60                      80
WHARTON      55                      70
BRAZOS       55                      65
MATAGORDA    45                      60

AN INLAND HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS.  THIS MEANS SUSTAINED WINDS GREATER THAN 74 MPH ARE POSSIBLE
OVER ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

THE IMPACTS FOR SUSTAINED WINDS OF 70 TO 90 MPH WITH GUSTS 100 TO 110
MPH ARE AS FOLLOWS...
VERY DANGEROUS WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE.  DESTRUCTION OF
MOBILE HOMES ARE LIKELY!

STRUCTURAL DAMAGE...
THOSE OF US WHO HAVE NEVER LIVED THROUGH A HURRICANE SHOULD CONSIDER
THE FOLLOWING TAKEN IN PART FROM THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE TABLE.

WITH WINDS OF...

    74 TO 95 MPH - DAMAGE TO UNANCHORED MOBILE HOMES...SHRUBBERY AND
                   TREES. NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS.

   96 TO 110 MPH - ROOFING...DOOR AND WINDOW DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS.

  111 TO 130 MPH - SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SMALL RESIDENCES AND
                   UTILITY BUILDINGS WITH MINOR AMOUNT OF WALL
                   FAILURES. MOBILE HOMES ARE DESTROYED.

  131 TO 155 MPH - MORE EXTENSIVE CURTAINMENT WALL FAILURES...WITH
                   SOME COMPLETE ROOF STRUCTURE FAILURES ON
                   RESIDENCES.

    OVER 155 MPH - COMPLETE ROOF FAILURE ON MANY RESIDENCES AND
                   INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS. SOME COMPLETE BUILDING
                   FAILURES.

THE ABOVE INFORMATION DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION DAMAGE OR
LOSSES TO MARINAS AND BOATS AT ANCHOR OR AFLOAT ON OPEN WATERS...
NOR ARE WIND DRIVEN TIDES CONSIDERED.

NATURAL DAMAGE...
ALL TREES WITH ROTTING BASES MAY UPROOT OR SNAP.  NEARLY ALL LARGE
BRANCHES SHOULD SNAP. BETWEEN ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF OF HEALTHY
SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED TREES MAY BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED.

...RAINFALL...
RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM 15
INCH TOTALS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF RITA OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS
AS IT MOVES INLAND. BASED ON THE FORECAST TRACK...TOTALS ACCUMULATIONS
IN EXCESS OF 25 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS THE
SYSTEM SLOWS DOWN.

FOR MORE TROPICAL WEATHER INFORMATION...SEE THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV OR THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX.

THE NEXT HURRICANE RITA STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 11 PM CDT.

$$



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