[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KCRP 231548
HLSCRP
GMZ235-255-275-TXZ233-234-244>247-232000-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1045 AM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES HEADING TOWARD THE UPPER TEXAS
   COAST...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF ARANSAS...CALHOUN...
GOLIAD...REFUGIO...SAN PATRICIO AND VICTORIA COUNTIES...

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
CONTINUES TO SHOW HURRICANE RITA MAKING LANDFALL ACROSS THE EXTREME
UPPER TEXAS COAST BY SATURDAY MORNING.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM PORT O'CONNOR TO
PORT ARANSAS.  THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING INCLUDES ARANSAS...
CALHOUN...REFUGIO...AND EXTREME EASTERN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY.

THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING SOUTH OF PORT ARANSAS TO PORT MANSFIELD
HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST INCLUDING ARANSAS...CALHOUN...GOLIAD...
REFUGIO...AND VICTORIA COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
27.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 340 MILES EAST OF CORPUS
CHRISTI.

RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...
MOST OF THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE RITA WILL REMAIN WELL NORTH OF THE
COASTAL BEND OF TEXAS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 135 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...

A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW LYING AREAS OF
CALHOUN COUNTY.

A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR VICTORIA COUNTY.

BEACHES ALONG THE BARRIER ISLANDS...FROM PORT ARANSAS TO THE PADRE
ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE REMAIN CLOSED.

ALL OTHER MANDATORY AND VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE BEEN LIFTED.

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

LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM HURRICANE RITA ARE CONTINUING TO MOVE INTO
THE OFFSHORE WATERS WITH SEAS OF 13 TO 16 FEET OCCURRING 20 TO 60
NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. SEAS ARE
EXPECTED TO RISE TO 15 TO 20 FEET BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND
POSSIBLY UP TO 20 TO 22 FEET THIS EVENING.

TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ONE TO TWO FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST...FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT
O'CONNOR. WATER REMAINS UP TO THE DUNES IN SOME LOCATIONS ON THE
BARRIER ISLANDS. ALSO...WATER HAS BEEN REPORTED INTO THE DITCHES ON
OCEAN DRIVE IN MAGNOLIA BEACH.

THE WATER WILL LIKELY REMAIN AT THESE LEVELS THROUGH LOW TIDE TODAY.
THEN...DURING HIGH TIDE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING...TOTAL TIDE
LEVELS AS HIGH AS 2 TO 3 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL IN THE BAYS AND 3 TO 4
FEET ALONG THE GULF SIDE OF THE BARRIER ISLANDS WILL GENERALLY OCCUR.
THIS WILL RESULT IN FLOODING OF BEACHES AND BEACH ACCESS ROADS.

HOWEVER...HIGHER TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL WILL
BE POSSIBLE AT PORT OCONNOR AND PORTIONS OF MATAGORDA ISLAND TONIGHT
AND SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL CAUSE SHALLOW FLOODING OF SOME AREAS
IN PORT OCONNOR. SOME LOW LYING AREAS OF MAGNOLIA BEACH WILL ALSO BE
FLOODED. IN ADDITION...PORTIONS OF MATAGORDA ISLAND WILL BE FLOODED
AS WELL AS AREAS OF THE ARANSAS WILDLIFE REFUGE. SOME FLOODING IN THE
INDIANOLA AREA WILL ALSO OCCUR.

IN ADDITION...LARGE BREAKING WAVES 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...THE HIGHEST WINDS
LATER TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED TO
THE EXTREME NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COASTAL BEND REGION. SUSTAINED
WINDS COULD REACH 25 TO 35 MPH BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING MAINLY OVER VICTORIA AND CALHOUN COUNTIES...
WITH GUSTS TO 40 TO 45 MPH...ESPECIALLY WITHIN SHOWERS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE EXTREME OUTER RAINBANDS OF RITA.

...RAINFALL...

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE
OFFSHORE GULF WATERS BEYOND 20 NM LATER THIS AFTERNOON...AND THEN
POSSIBLY OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN COASTAL BEND TOWARD THIS
EVENING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW ONE QUARTER
INCH THROUGH THIS EVENING. BETTER CHANCES FOR RAINFALL WILL OCCUR
TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY...AGAIN MAINLY OVER THE EXTREME NORTHERN
COASTAL BEND. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ONE HALF INCH
OR LESS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...MAINLY ACROSS VICTORIA AND
CALHOUN COUNTIES.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 2 PM CDT
THIS AFTERNOON.

$$

JR

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