[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 241216 CCA
HLSLCH
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-241600-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
716 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

...CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA NOW OVER JASPER AND NEWTON COUNTIES...
...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IMPACTING SOUTHEAST TEXAS COUNTIES...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO JEFFERSON...ORANGE...HARDIN...TYLER...
JASPER...AND NEWTON COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND FOR
VERNON...RAPIDES...AVOYELLES...BEAUREGARD...ALLEN...EVANGELINE...ST
LANDRY...CALCASIEU...JEFFERSON DAVIS...ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...UPPER ST
MARTIN...CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA...ST MARY...AND LOWER ST MARTIN
PARISHES IN LOUISIANA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE COAST FROM HIGH ISLAND
TEXAS TO MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND
PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY 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.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH 5 PM TODAY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 7 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 30.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 94.2 WEST OR MIDWAY BETWEEN
JASPER AND BEAUMONT TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTH AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. RITA REMAINS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-
SIMPSON SCALE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205
MILES. A HAM RADIO OPERATOR IN JASPER RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST
TO 85 MPH. AN ELEVATED TOWER PLATFORM AT THE LAKE LIVINGSTON DAM IN
SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 117 MPH.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 950 MILLIBARS OR 28.05
INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL PERSONS SHOULD KEEP REFUGE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS IN A STRONG
BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES AND CAMERON AND CALCASIEU
PARISHES...MAXIMUM STORM SURGES OF 15 TO 20 FEET LIKELY ONGOING
IN AREAS ALONG THE COAST. THIS STORM SURGE WILL ALSO LIKELY COME OVER
THE TOP OF THE SEA WALL AROUND PORT ARTHUR TEXAS. LOW LYING AREAS IN
BEAUMONT AND LAKE CHARLES COULD SEE UP TO 4 FEET OF STORM SURGE
ESPECIALLY NEAR RIVERS AND BAYOUS AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES.

VERMILION PARISH...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 FEET IS
LIKELY ONGOING. THIS WILL FLOOD LAND AROUND PECAN ISLAND AND
INTRACOASTAL CITY...WHERE SURGE WAS BATTERING THE TOWN EARLIER FRIDAY
EVENING. SECTIONS OF DELCAMBRE WILL BE UNDER WATER.

IBERIA AND ST. MARY PARISHES...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE BETWEEN 6 AND 10
FEET IS LIKELY ONGOING. 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:
SATURDAY     LOW/3:30 PM/0.2 FT

CALCASIEU PASS:
SATURDAY     LOW/2:44 PM/0.3 FT

SOUTHWEST PASS:
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.

ALL OF THIS STORM SURGE SHOULD BEGIN TO SUBSIDE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THE EYEWALL OF HURRICANE RITA IS SPREADING SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS...74 MPH OR GREATER...WITH GUSTS OVER 100 MPH...NORTHWARD INTO
THE AREA.

OVER HARDIN...JASPER...NEWTON...AND TYLER COUNTIES...DESTRUCTIVE WINDS
OF 75 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 100 MPH ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

OVER VERNON PARISH...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 60 TO 75 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE
THIS AFTERNOON.

OVER THESE AREAS...CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE CAN BE EXPECTED DUE TO THE
STRENGTH AND DURATION OF THE EXTREME WINDS. DOWNED TREES AND POWER
LINES WILL BE WIDESPREAD. POWER OUTAGES WILL ALSO BE WIDESPREAD AND
LIKELY LENGTHY. SOME STRUCTURES WILL FAIL.

OVER JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES...AND CALCASIEU...CAMERON...AND
JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISHES...WINDS HAVE SHIFTED TO THE WEST AND
DECREASED BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH. HOWEVER...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40
TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 75 MPH ARE STILL EXPECTED THIS MORNING
BEFORE SUBSIDING THIS AFTERNOON.

RAPIDES...AVOYLLES...EVANGELINE...AND ST. LANDRY PARISHES...WINDS OF
40 TO 55 MPH WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS COULD LAST INTO THE AFTERNOON.

ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...AND UPPER ST. MARTIN PARISHES...WIND GUSTS
BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNRISE. TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS COULD LAST INTO THE AFTERNOON.

IBERIA...ST. MARY...AND LOWER ST. MARTIN PARISHES...WINDS WILL BE 40
TO 50 MPH THROUGH SUNRISE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD LAST INTO
THE AFTERNOON.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
EXTREME RAINFALL WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY RITA. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES
THAT RAINFALL TOTALS SINCE FRIDAY AFTERNOON HAVE EXCEEDED 6 INCHES
IN MANY LOCATIONS...WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 6 INCHES LIKELY. LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 20 TO 25 INCHES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN
TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA. THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY CAUSE
CATASTROPHIC RIVER FLOODING.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AS WELL AS SOUTHEAST TEXAS...THROUGH 5 PM THIS
AFTERNOON DUE TO THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF RITA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE RITA WILL BE ISSUED BY 11 AM
CDT.

$$

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