[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KHGX 241226
HLSHGX
GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-
235>238-241500-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
726 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 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL THE TEXAS COASTAL
COUNTIES.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FROM PORT O'CONNOR TO
SARGENT.

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

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

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

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

...CURRENT STORM INFORMATION...

.LOCATION...
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.

.MOVEMENT...
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 SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS TODAY.

.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 WERE 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...
WIND REPORTS INCLUDE...
CHAMBERS COUNTY WITH 100 MPH AT 4 AM...

LIBERTY COUNTY WITH 80 TO 100 MPH BETWEEN 4 AND 7 AM...

POLK COUNTY WITH 60 TO 70 MPH COUNTY WIDE AND A WIND GUST TO 117 MPH
AT THE LAKE LIVINGSTON DAM AT 545 AM...

GALVESTON AND EAST HARRIS COUNTY WITH 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65
MPH BETWEEN 2 AND 7 AM.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE STILL EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF LIBERTY AND
POLK COUNTY THIS MORNING.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WERE 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 AND POLK COUNTIES THROUGH
9 AM WHERE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE.

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
CAN BE 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 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 TRINITY...
POLK...AND LIBERTY 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 1000 AM CDT.

$$

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