[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 232138
HLSLCH
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-242330-

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

...CORE OF DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL NEAR
DAYBREAK SATURDAY...

...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM SARGENT 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 IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE COAST FROM SARGENT
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 4 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.6 WEST OR ABOUT 140 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
PORT ARTHUR TEXAS...OR ABOUT 120 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAMERON
LOUISIANA.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. ON THIS TRACK...
THE CORE OF RITA WILL BE APPROACHING THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS LATE TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS
A STRONG CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE AND RITA IS STILL EXPECTED TO COME
ASHORE AS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE. RITA IS STILL CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING EXTREME DAMAGE ALONG ITS PATH.

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 930 MB...27.46 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ALL EVACUATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED AT THIS TIME ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...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 THE INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR FROM BEAUMONT TEXAS TO
LAKE CHARLES LOUISIANA. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ORANGE TEXAS AND
SULPHUR LOUISIANA. THIS STORM SURGE WILL ALSO LIKELY 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:
TONIGHT      HIGH/12:39 AM/2.1 FT
SATURDAY     LOW/3:30 PM/0.2 FT

CALCASIEU PASS:
TONIGHT      HIGH/11:43 PM/2.6 FT
SATURDAY     LOW/2:44 PM/0.3 FT

SOUTHWEST PASS:
TONIGHT      HIGH/1:25 AM/2.1 FT
SATURDAY     LOW/3:35 PM/0.2 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 OVER 40 MPH WILL INCREASE 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 OVER 40 MPH WILL INCREASE 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 OVER 40 MPH WILL INCREASE
TO GUSTS OF 60 TO 75 MPH BEFORE MIDNIGHT. WINDS APPROACHING HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS WILL LAST 4 TO 6 HOURS.

ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...AND UPPER ST. MARTIN PARISHES...WIND GUSTS NEAR
40 MPH WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 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
STRENGTH AND DURATION OF THE EXTREME WINDS. 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.
THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY CAUSE CATASTROPHIC RIVER FLOODING.

...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 EVENING AND TONIGHT.

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

$$







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