[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KCRP 232118
HLSCRP
GMZ235-255-275-TXZ234-244>247-240200-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
415 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA APPROACHING THE UPPER TEXAS COAST...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF ARANSAS...CALHOUN...
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 EARLY 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.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CALHOUN AND
VICTORIA COUNTIES.


...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 4 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 295 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST
OF CORPUS CHRISTI.

RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE THROUGH LANDFALL. 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 125 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA
REMAINS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE.


...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...INCLUDING PORT ARANSAS AND 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 15 TO 20 FEET OCCURRING 20 TO 60
NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. SEAS ARE
EXPECTED TO RISE UP TO 20 TO 22 FEET THIS EVENING OVER PORTIONS OF
THE OFFSHORE GULF WATERS.

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 MANY LOCATIONS ON THE
BARRIER ISLANDS...INCLUDING PORT ARANSAS AND THE PADRE ISLAND
NATIONAL SEASHORE. ALSO...WATER HAS BEEN REPORTED INTO THE DITCHES ON
OCEAN DRIVE IN MAGNOLIA BEACH.

HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING ALONG THE
MIDDLE TEXAS COAST. THIS TIDE IN COMBINATION WITH SWELLS FROM RITA
WILL PUSH 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
TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL RESULT IN FLOODING OF BEACHES
AND BEACH ACCESS ROADS.

HOWEVER...HIGHER TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO 6 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...

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN COASTAL BEND TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SATURDAY. GUSTS TO 45
MPH WILL ALSO OCCUR...PRIMARILY ACROSS VICTORIA AND CALHOUN COUNTIES.
RESIDENTS SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE BLOWN ABOUT BY
THE WIND...ESPECIALLY THOSE NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST.


...RAINFALL...

THERE IS STILL A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR OUTER RAINBANDS TO AFFECT THE FAR
NORTHERN COASTAL BEND AND ADJACENT GULF WATERS TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING. THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER CALHOUN AND VICTORIA
COUNTIES. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN ONE
QUARTER OF AN INCH THROUGH SATURDAY.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 8 PM CDT
THIS EVENING.

$$

JR

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