[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KBRO 231522
HLSBRO
TXZ251-254>257-231800-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1020 AM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE
SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS...
...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING AND HIGH SURFACE ADVISORY FOR COASTAL
CAMERON...COASTAL WILLACY AND KENEDY COUNTIES...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS ACROSS
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE LOWER TEXAS COASTLINE WHICH INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES: KENEDY...WILLACY...AND CAMERON COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO
BAFFIN BAY HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.  HOWEVER...A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING
AND A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM BAFFIN BAY TO THE
MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE RIVER.  A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS BEEN
POSTED FROM BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE RIVER
INCLUDING THE LAGUNA MADRE.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.4
NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.9 WEST OR ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
GALVESTON TEXAS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 929 MILLIBARS.
RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AT 10 AM CDT...HEAVY SURF CONDITIONS GENERATED BY RITA HAVE ARRIVED
ALONG THE BEACHES OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. COASTAL BEACH FLOODING AND
DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS WITH DEADLY RIP CURRENTS ARE AFFECTING THE
BEACHES OF THE LOWER TEXAS COAST INCLUDING SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. DO
NOT ENTER THE WATER. OBEY ALL WARNINGS POSTED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.
THE COMBINATION OF STORM TIDE AND ROUGH SURF FROM RITA WILL CAUSE
SEA WATER TO FLOOD THE BEACHES AND DUNES ON SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. THE
LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER BEING FORCED INTO THE LOWER TEXAS COAST WILL
CAUSE FLOODING OF BEACHES AND BEACH ACCESS ROADS THROUGH SATURDAY
WITH CONSIDERABLE BEACH EROSION TAKING PLACE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT 10 AM CDT...MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WITH RITA ARE 135 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS AT THE BORDER OF BEING A CATEGORY FOUR AND
THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SLIGHT WEAKENING IS
POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL...BUT RITA IS EXPECTED TO COME ASHORE AS A
MAJOR HURRICANE.  WIND GUSTS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE POSSIBLE
ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COAST TODAY FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD.

...OTHER IMPACTS...
THE LIKELIHOOD OF RIP CURRENTS IS VERY HIGH AS HEAVY SURF AND SWELL
ACTION WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ALONG THE
BEACHES OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TODAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THIS WILL BE THE LAST HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BROWNSVILLE TEXAS CONCERNING
HURRICANE RITA.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING HURRICANE RITA
CAN BE FOUND FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

$$

SPEECE/LORENTSON

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