[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 232149
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-056-058>070-240000-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
500 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...OVER TOPPING ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL LEVEES CONTINUES WITH
FLOODING IN ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES...

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE
UPPER TEXAS COAST AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA COAST...

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
INCLUDING LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND NEW ORLEANS METRO AREA...

...TIDES EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER COASTAL AREAS WEST OF MISSISSIPPI
RIVER AND NORTHSHORE LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...THE FOLLOWING PARISHES

ASSUMPTION...LAFOURCHE...TERREBONNE...JEFFERSON...ORLEANS...ST
TAMMANY...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST...ST CHARLES...ST BERNARD...ST
JAMES...PLAQUEMINES...TANGIPAHOA...LIVINGSTON

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF
LOUISIANA EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER
INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
WITH WINDS OF 40 MPH OR HIGHER...ARE EXPECTED.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF
INTERIOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FOR FREQUENT WIND GUSTS
BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH TONIGHT.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD
PARISHES DUE TO OVER-TOPPING OF LEVEE ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 400 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.6 WEST OR 220 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF NEW ORLEANS

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT 12 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CORE OF RITA WILL BE MAKING LANDFALL ON THE SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA AND UPPER TEXAS COAST NEAR DAYBREAK SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE RITA IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATION IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE
BEFORE LANDFALL...BUT RITA IS STILL EXPECTED COME ASHORE AS A
DANGEROUS HURRICANE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PERSONS LIVING IN LOW LYING AREAS NEAR DAMAGED LEVEES...LOW
LYING AREAS NEAR BAYOUS AND COASTAL AREAS PRONE TO STORM SURGE
FLOODING SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS FURTHER INLAND NOW. MANY
PARISHES IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA HAVE EVACUATIONS ORDERS FOR FOR LOW
LYING COASTAL AREAS IN PROGRESS AT THIS TIME. RESIDENTS SHOULD LISTEN
TO MEDIA FOR EVACUATION INFORMATION AND FOLLOW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS.

ALSO PERSONS LIVING IN UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES...TRAILERS...TENTS OR
HOMES STRUCTURALLY WEAKENED BY RECENT HURRICANES...SHOULD ALSO MAKE
PLANS TO MOVE TO MORE SECURE STRUCTURES DUE TO TROPICAL STORM WIND
GUSTS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
OVER-TOPPING CONTINUES ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL LEVEE IN THE NEW
ORLEANS AREA. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE
AFFECTED AREA.

TIDES ARE 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL THIS AFTERNOON. AS RITA
MOVES FURTHER INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO...EAST WINDS WILL SHIFT
TO THE SOUTHEAST AND TIDES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ALONG THE
COAST. ESPECIALLY SHARP INCREASES IN TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED
TONIGHT ALONG COASTAL AREAS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER INCLUDING
TERREBONNE...LAFOURCHE...LOWER JEFFERSON...AND PLAQUEMINES PARISHES.
IN ADDITION...TIDES WILL MARKEDLY INCREASE ALONG THE NORTHSHORE OF
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN DUE TO WIND SHIFTING TO SOUTHEAST. STORM SURGE
FLOODING WILL LIKELY OCCUR IN LOW LYING AREAS OF THESE LOCATIONS
TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY.

TIDES ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA WILL INCREASE TO 4 TO 6 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...AND 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TONIGHT AND SATURDAY AS WINDS
BECOME MORE SOUTHEASTERLY. STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
CAN BE EXPECTED IN LAKES PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS. IN ADDITION
LARGE WAVES WILL ALSO AFFECT THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREA AND INCREASE
THE FLOOD THREAT.

SINCE HURRICANE KATRINA...THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO COASTAL TIDAL FLOODING. IN ADDITION MANY
HURRICANE PROTECTION LEVEES IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA HAVE BEEN
DEGRADED FROM THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE KATRINA. FLOODING OF LOW LYING
ROADWAYS AND AREAS NEAR DAMAGED LEVEES...BAYOUS WILL LIKELY OCCUR AS
THE TIDES INCREASE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
RITA IS  A LARGE HURRICANE WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDING
OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES FROM THE CENTER. TROPICAL STORM WINDS OF 40
TO 50 MPH ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA...AND WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY. TROPICAL STORM WIND
GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA THIS EVENING AS SQUALLS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION.
EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE TO SECURE LOOSE DEBRIS AT THIS TIME.

...RAINFALL...
OCCASIONAL SQUALLS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT...AND POSSIBLY
INTO SATURDAY. THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF RAINFALL IS EXPECTED OVER THE
SOUTHEASTERN PARISHES WHERE FOUR TO SIX INCHES OF RAIN COULD FALL
THROUGH SATURDAY WITH LOCALLY UP TO 8 INCHES. DEBRIS FROM HURRICANE
KATRINA DAMAGE REMAINS IN DRAINAGE CANALS AND MAY HINDER RAINFALL
RUNOFF. PUMPING STATION CAPACITY STILL REMAINS DEGRADED DUE TO
HURRICANE KATRINA.

...TORNADO THREAT...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEVERAL REPORTS OF
FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED DURING THE MORNING AND EARLY
AFTERNOON...BUT NO CONFIRMED REPORTS OF TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS HAVE
BEEN REPORTED. THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA DURING THE NIGHT.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 700 PM CDT.

$$

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