[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 230057
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-056>070-230345-

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

...HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE UPPER TEXAS COAST
AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

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

...OUTER RAINBANDS SPREADING OVER SOUTHERN LOUISIANA...

...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...ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN THE WARNING
AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS.

AN 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 7 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 290 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CAMERON LOUISIANA.

RITA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN
TO THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 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 FOR LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS IN PROGRESS AT THIS TIME.
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 DUE TO TROPICAL STORM WIND
GUSTS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. AS HURRICANE RITA MOVES WEST
NORTHWEST ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND WESTERN GULF...WINDS WILL SHIFT TO
THE SOUTHEAST AND TIDES WILL INCREASE ALONG THE COAST. TIDES OF 2 TO
4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL MAY OCCUR ALONG THE SOUTH MISSISSIPPI AND
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COASTS TONIGHT INCREASING TO 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL 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 OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA 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 WILL LIKELY 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 FRIDAY...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 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.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1030 PM CDT.

$$

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