[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KCRP 230355
HLSCRP
GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ232>234-242>247-230700-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1100 PM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES 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 AND PARTS OF LOUISIANA FROM PORT O'CONNOR NORTHWARD TO
MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA.

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 10 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
26.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 90.3 WEST...OR ABOUT 450 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST
OF CORPUS CHRISTI.

RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 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 LATE FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 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 CALHOUN COUNTY. A
DUSK TO DAWN CURFEW IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR CALHOUN COUNTY.

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

FOR CORPUS CHRISTI...A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN PLACE
FOR THE CITY.

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

EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE BEEN LIFTED FOR ARANSAS...SAN PATRICIO...
AND KLEBERG COUNTIES.


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

SWELLS FROM HURRICANE RITA ARE CONTINUING TO MOVE INTO THE
OFFSHORE WATERS WITH SEAS OF 10 TO 15 FEET OCCURRING 20 TO 60
NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. SEAS
WILL RISE TO 13 TO 17 FEET BY FRIDAY MORNING AND 20 TO 25 FEET
OFFSHORE FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

TIDE LEVELS ARE AROUND 1.5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS
COAST TONIGHT FROM PORT ARANSAS NORTH TO PORT O'CONNOR. THE
HIGH SWELLS AFFECTING THE COAST OVERNIGHT WILL OCCUR ALONG WITH
ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES OVERNIGHT. HIGH TIDE HAS JUST OCCURRED AT
PORT ARANSAS AND HIGH TIDE AT PORT OCONNOR WILL OCCUR AROUND 450 AM.

THE SWELL COMBINED WITH THESE HIGH TIDES WILL PUSH TIDE LEVELS AS
HIGH AS 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL ALONG AREA BEACHES OVERNIGHT
AND AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN FLOODING OF BEACHES
AND BEACH ACCESS ROADS. THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE
HAS ALREADY REPORTED THE WATER UP TO THE DUNES THIS AFTERNOON.

TIDE LEVELS OF 5 TO 6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL WILL BE POSSIBLE AT
PORT OCONNOR AND PORTIONS OF MATAGORDA ISLAND FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL
CAUSE SHALLOW FLOODING OF SOME AREAS IN PORT OCONNOR. SOME LOW LYING
AREAS OF MAGNOLIA BEACH WILL ALSO BE FLOODED. IN ADDITION...LARGE
SECTIONS OF MATAGORDA ISLAND WILL BE FLOODED AS WELL AS AREAS OF THE
ARANSAS WILDLIFE REFUGE. CONSIDERABLE FLOODING IN THE INDIANOLA AREA
MAY ALSO OCCUR.

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.

...WIND IMPACTS...

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF RITA...TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS...WITH SPEEDS OF 35 TO 40 MPH AND GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH...COULD
REACH THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAINLY NORTH OF
CORPUS CHRISTI TO PORT OCONNOR.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 2 AM CDT
THIS EVENING.

$$

DUNN

This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net