[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 231644
HLSLCH
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-231830-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1140 AM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE RITA MOVING NORTHWEST
TOWARD THE UPPER TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA COASTS...

...HURRICANE WARNINGS IN EFFECT FROM PORT OCONNOR TEXAS TO MORGAN
CITY LOUISIANA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO JEFFERSON...ORANGE...HARDIN...TYLER...
JASPER...AND NEWTON COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND FOR
BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA...SAINT MARY...
UPPER AND LOWER SAINT MARTIN...JEFFERSON
DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...ACADIA...AND ALLEN PARISHES IN LOUISIANA.

...WATCHES/WARNING...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE COAST FROM PORT
OCONNOR TEXAS TO MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS
THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN
THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
BE COMPLETED NOW.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON...ORANGE...
HARDIN...TYLER...JASPER AND NEWTON COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
FOR BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA...SAINT
MARY...LOWER SAINT MARTIN...JEFFERSON DAVIS AND ALLEN PARISHES IN
LOUISIANA.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR VERNON...
RAPIDES... AVOYELLES... EVANGELINE...SAINT LANDRY...LAFAYETTE...AND
UPPER SAINT MARTIN PARISHES IN LOUISIANA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 27.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE  91.9 WEST OR ABOUT 200 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAMERON LOUISIANA.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CORE OF RITA WILL BE APPROACHING THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS LATE TODAY OR TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA
IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE...AND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING EXTREME DAMAGE ALONG
ITS PATH. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT
24 HOURS BUT RITA IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST AS A MAJOR CATEGORY
THREE OR FOUR HURRICANE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205
MILES.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 929 MB...27.43 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE FOLLOWING ARE CURRENT EVACUATION ORDERS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

NEWTON...JASPER...ORANGE AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES...MANDATORY FOR
ENTIRE COUNTIES.

CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES...MANDATORY FOR ENTIRE PARISH.

JEFF DAVIS PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 AND ALL
OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.

VERMILION PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 14 AND PEOPLE IN
ALL MOBILE HOMES OR SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS. VOLUNTARY FOR ALL OTHERS.

ACADIA PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 92 AND VOLUNTARY FOR
OTHERS IN LOW LYING AREAS OR RESIDENTS IN LIGHT HOUSING OR MOBILE
HOMES..

SAINT LANDRY PARISH...VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN LOW
LYING AREAS AND MOBILE HOMES.

ST. MARY PARISH...MANDATORY SOUTH OF THE INTRACOASTAL CANAL.
VOLUNTARY FOR ALL OTHERS.

LOWER ST. MARTIN PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SPECIAL NEEDS PATIENTS AND
VOLUNTARY FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

IBERIA PARISH...MANDATORY FOR SOUTH OF HIGHWAYS 90 AND 14.

LAFAYETTE PARISH...VOLUNTARY FOR PEOPLE IN MOBILE HOMES... LOW-LYING
AREAS...AND PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE
ELECTRICITY.

EVANGELINE PARISH...VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN LOW
LYING AREAS AND IN HOUSING THAT CANNOT SUSTAIN TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS.

BEAUREGARD PARISH...VOLUNTARY FOR PEOPLE IN LOW LYING AREAS OR IN
MOBILE HOMES.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS RECOMMEND THAT INDIVIDUALS TAKE
SUPPLIES TO LAST THEM FOR 3 TO 5 DAYS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES AND CAMERON AND CALCASIEU
PARISHES...MAXIMUM STORM SURGES OF 15 TO 20 FEET ARE POSSIBLE IN
THESE AREAS LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL BRING GULF WATERS
AS FAR NORTH AS INTERSTATE 10 ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF LAKE CHARLES AND
SULPHUR LOUISIANA...AND ORANGE AND BEAUMONT TEXAS. THIS STORM SURGE
COULD ALSO COME OVER THE TOP OF THE SEA WALL AROUND PORT ARTHUR
TEXAS.

EVEN THOUGH THE HURRICANE WILL BE INLAND...HIGH STORM SURGE VALUES
IN EXCESS OF 8 TO 10 FEET WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS JEFFERSON AND
ORANGE COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

VERMILION PARISH...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 FEET
TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL FLOOD LAND AROUND PECAN ISLAND AND
INTRACOASTAL CITY. SECTIONS OF DELCAMBRE WILL BE UNDER WATER.

IBERIA AND ST. MARY PARISHES...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE BETWEEN 6 AND 10
FEET TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL FLOOD SECTIONS OF CYPREMORT
POINT AND BURNS POINT...AND LOW-LYING AREAS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 90 FROM
FRANKLIN TO MORGAN CITY.

NORMAL HIGH AND LOW TIDES AT:

SABINE PASS:
FRIDAY       LOW / 2:19 PM/0.1 FT
SATURDAY     HIGH/12:39 AM/2.1 FT     LOW/3:30 PM/0.2 FT

CALCASIEU PASS:
FRIDAY       LOW/1:33 PM/0.1 FT       HIGH/11:43 PM/2.6 FT
SATURDAY     LOW/2:44 PM/0.3 FT

SOUTHWEST PASS:
FRIDAY       LOW/ 2:24 PM/0.1 FT
SATURDAY     HIGH/1:25 AM/2.1 FT      LOW/3:34 PM/0.3 FT

BASED ON THE PROJECTED STORM SURGE VALUES...CATASTROPHIC RIVER
FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE LOWER REACHES OF THE
SABINE...NECHES...AND CALCASIEU RIVERS...WHERE CRESTS OF 10 TO 15
FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE CAN BE EXPECTED. MAJOR FLOODING IS ALSO
LIKELY ALONG THE MERMENTAU RIVER...WHERE CRESTS OF 7 TO 8 FEET ARE
EXPECTED.

...WIND IMPACTS...
JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 40 MPH LATER
THIS AFTERNOON...INCREASING TO 75 MPH BY MIDNIGHT...AND OVER 100 MPH
TOWARDS DAYBREAK SATURDAY MORNING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS COULD LAST
10 TO 12 HOURS.

HARDIN...JASPER...NEWTON...TYLER COUNTIES...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO
40 MPH THIS EVENING...INCREASING TO 75 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT...AND
GUSTING NEAR 100 MPH SATURDAY MORNING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS COULD
LAST 8 TO 10 HOURS.

CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 40 MPH THIS
AFTERNOON...INCREASING TO 75 MPH BEFORE MIDNIGHT...AND GUSTING OVER
100 MPH TOWARDS DAYBREAK SATURDAY MORNING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
COULD LAST 10 TO 12 HOURS.

JEFF DAVIS AND VERMILION PARISHES...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 40 MPH
THIS AFTERNOON...INCREASING GUSTS TO 60 TO 75 MPH BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
WINDS APPROACHING HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL LAST 4 TO 6 HOURS.

ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...AND UPPER ST. MARTIN PARISHES...WINDS WILL
INCREASE TO 40 MPH THIS AFTERNOON...INCREASING TO 50 MPH TONIGHT.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD LAST OVER 12 HOURS.

IBERIA AND ST. MARY PARISHES...WINDS WILL BE 40 TO 50 MPH THROUGH
TONIGHT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD LAST OVER 12 HOURS.

CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION DUE TO THE
EXTREME WINDS AND THE LENGTHY DURATION OF THEM. NUMEROUS TREES AND
POWER LINES WILL BE DOWNED...WITH WIDESPREAD AND EXTENDED POWER
OUTAGES LIKELY. SOME STRUCTURES WILL ALSO FAIL.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
EXTREME RAINFALL WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY RITA...WITH A STORM TOTAL OF 8
TO 12 INCHES EXPECTED. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 20 TO 25 INCHES
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF ACADIANA THROUGH 6 PM
DUE TO OUTER RAINBANDS OF RITA. ADDITIONAL TORNADO WATCHES FOR THE
REMAINDER OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE EXPECTED
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE RITA WILL BE ISSUED BY
130 PM CDT.

$$




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