[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KFWD 240914 AAA
HLSFWD
TXZ135-146>148-161-162-175-241800-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
400 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

...RITA MOVES ONSHORE NEAR SABINE PASS AS A CATEGORY THREE...

...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE
   EXTREME SOUTHEAST SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS TODAY AND THIS EVENING...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ANDERSON AND LEON
COUNTIES TODAY AND THIS EVENING.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR ANDERSON...
HOPKINS...FREESTONE...HENDERSON...LEON...LIMESTONE...NAVARRO...VAN
ZANDT...RAINS...AND ROBERTSON COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 4 AM CDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE  93.9 WEST OR NEAR PORT ARTHUR
TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH.  A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTH AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING
THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF RITA
FARTHER INLAND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 120 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
RITA IS STILL A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE BUT SHOULD WEAKEN TODAY AS THE CENTER MOVES
INLAND.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
DUE TO THE WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED...LIGHT-WEIGHT OBJECTS SUCH AS
TRASH CANS AND LAWN CHAIRS SHOULD BE SECURED.  POWER OUTAGES MAY BE
POSSIBLE...SO HAVE FLASHLIGHTS...BATTERIES...A FULL TANK OF
GAS...CASH...BOTTLED WATER AND NON-PERISHABLE FOODS ON HAND JUST IN
CASE.

MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS SHOULD FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS IF ASKED TO EVACUATE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.
WIND GUSTS WILL BE HIGHER IN AND NEAR ANY THUNDERSTORMS AND MAY BE
STRONG ENOUGH TO RESULT IN DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES...ALONG WITH
POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO LIGHT-WEIGHT STRUCTURES SUCH AS MOBILE
HOMES...SHEDS...OPEN CAR PORTS...AND OUT-BUILDINGS.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE
ACROSS THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT...THE TORNADO
THREAT WILL LIKELY BE CONFINED TO EAST TEXAS...EAST OF WHERE THE
CENTER OF RITA TRACKS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED BY 8 AM...OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS
WARRANT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES RESIDENTS IN THE AFFECTED AREA
TO CONTINUE MONITORING NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND THE MEDIA FOR UPDATES
ON HURRICANE RITA.

$$



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