[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KHGX 241051
HLSHGX
GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-
235>238-241300-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
503 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

...HURRICANE RITA MOVING INLAND IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
...TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IMPACTING THE EASTERN
HALF OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF...
AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...BRAZOS...BURLESON...CHAMBERS...COLORADO...FORT
BEND...GALVESTON...GRIMES...HARRIS...HOUSTON...JACKSON...LIBERTY...
MADISON...MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...POLK...SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...
WALKER...WALLER...WASHINGTON...AND WHARTON COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

HURRICANE WARNING FOR ALL THE COASTAL COUNTIES EAST OF SARGENT.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM PORT O'CONNOR TO SARGENT.

INLAND HURRICANE WARNING FOR CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...LIBERTY...AND POLK
COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY.

INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR BRAZORIA...HARRIS...
HOUSTON...MATAGORDA...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...AND
WALKER COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY.

WIND ADVISORY FOR AUSTIN...BRAZOS...BURLESON...COLORADO...
FORT BEND...GRIMES...JACKSON...MADISON...WALLER...WASHINGTON...AND
WHARTON COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY.

FLOOD WATCH FOR BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...HARRIS...HOUSTON...
LIBERTY...MONTGOMERY...POLK...SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...AND WALKER
COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM SATURDAY.

...CURRENT STORM INFORMATION...

.LOCATION...
AT 6 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 30.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE  94.1 WEST 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF
ORANGE OR NEAR BUNA IN SOUTHERN JASPER COUNTY.

.MOVEMENT...
RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. ON THIS TRACK...THE
CORE OF HURRICANE RITA WILL MOVE INLAND TO NEAR LUFKIN AND NACOGDOCHES
THIS AFTEROON.

.INTENSITY...
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.EVACUATION INFORMATION...THOSE THAT HAVE NOT EVACUATED
SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL RITA MOVES FARTHER INLAND.
TRAVEL WILL BE DANGEROUS...ESPECIALLY IN CARS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WATER LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RECEDING IN THE UPPER AND MIDDLE PORTIONS
OF GALVESTON BAY AS STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS HAVE PUSHED THE WATER
BACK SOUTHWARD. REACHES UP NEAR THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL AND EAGLE
POINT COULD FALL AS MUCH AS 4 TO 5 FEET BELOW NORMAL. THIS WILL CAUSE
WATER TO PILE UP ACROSS BAYSIDE LOCATIONS OF GALVESTON ISLAND AND
BOLIVAR PENINSULA. SURGE MODELS INDICATE THE POSSIBILITY OF A 4 TO 5
FOOT SURGE BEING TRAPPED IN THE BAY SIDE PORTION OF EASTERN GALVESTON
ISLAND AND ALONG THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA. FURTHER WEST ALONG GALVESTON
ISLAND...ALONG THE NORTH FACING BAY SHORES...WATERS LEVELS SHOULD BE 2
TO 3 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER. THIS FLOODING WILL GRADUALLY
SUBSIDE BY MIDDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE STILL EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF LIBERTY...
CHAMBERS...AND GALVESTON COUNTIES...AND POSSIBLY OVER PORTIONS OF POLK
COUNTY...THROUGH THIS MORNING.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE AREA FROM
GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES NORTHWARD TO POLK COUNTY. ALL
AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 45 WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE AT LEAST GUSTS
TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE THIS MORNING.

THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER LIBERTY...CHAMBERS...AND
POLK COUNTIES BETWEEN NOW AND 9 AM. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE AND COULD LAST 2 TO 4 HOURS IN SOME LOCATIONS.

WEST OF INTERSTATE 45 AND STATE HIGHWAY 288...MUCH LOWER WINDS ARE
EXPECTED. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH
ARE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS.

...TORNADOES...
CONDITIONS ARE NOT FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES
OVER THIS PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES IS
EXPECTED TO REMAIN EAST OF OUR AREA...TOWARDS THE TEXAS LOUISIANA
BORDER AND OVER SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...RAINFALL...
RAINBANDS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MAINLY THE EASTERN HALF OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS THIS MORNING. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL IMPACT
POLK...LIBERTY AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE FLOOD WATCH
AREA...GENERALLY ENCOMPASSING THOSE AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 45.
LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...
ESPECIALLY OVER POLK...LIBERTY...AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES. THESE
RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD LEAD TO FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

FURTHER WEST...RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE LESS THAN AN INCH...WITH
ISOLATED TOTALS TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE. FLOODING PROBLEMS ARE NOT
ANTICIPATED IN THESE AREAS.

FOR MORE TROPICAL WEATHER INFORMATION...SEE THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV OR THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX.

THE NEXT HURRICANE RITA STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 800 AM CDT.

$$

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