[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 241552
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-056-058>070-241700-

HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
11 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

...HURRICANE RITA ONSHORE OVER SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...

...HURRICANE RITA CONTINUES TO WEAKEN...

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
INCLUDING LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND THE NEW ORLEANS METRO AREA...

...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
WEST TO THE ATCHAFALAYA RIVER...INCLUDING PARISHES AROUND LAKES
PONTCHARTAIN AND MAUREPAS...

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH
MISSISSIPPI THROUGH TODAY...

...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...
THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER INCLUDING
METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR MUCH OF THE
INTERIOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.

A WIND ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR TODAY FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI.

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE MISSISSIPPI COAST
TO THE ATCHAFALAYA RIVER INCLUDING PARISHES BORDERING LAKES
PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 94.3 WEST...NEAR JASPER TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT 12 MPH. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY
AND TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE RITA HAS WEAKENED TO A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IN INTENSITY IS EXPECTED
TODAY AS RITA MOVES INLAND.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
STORM SURGE FLOODING REMAINS A THREAT THROUGH TODAY. 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 LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS.

ALSO PERSONS LIVING IN UNSECURED MOBILE HOMES...TRAILERS...TENTS OR
HOMES STRUCTURALLY WEAKENED BY RECENT HURRICANES...SHOULD MOVE TO
MORE SECURE STRUCTURES DUE TO GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS UP TO 35 MPH.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
EXTENSIVE STORM SURGE FLOODING OF LOW LYING COMMUNITIES IN LOWER
TERREBONNE PARISH...AND LOWER JEFFERSON PARISH HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED
BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND MEDIA...WITH SOME LOCAL LEVEES
OVER-TOPPED. STORM SURGE FLOODING IS LIKELY ONGOING IN MANY OTHER LOW
LYING COASTAL AREAS...AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. OVER-
TOPPING CONTINUES ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL LEVEE IN THE NEW ORLEANS
AREA WITH STORM SURGE FLOODING IN NEARBY AREAS.

TIDES ARE 4 TO 6 ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS MOST OF COASTAL LOUISIANA AND
LOCALLY UP TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IN TERREBONNE PARISH. TIDE
LEVELS WILL LIKELY PEAK THIS MORNING...BUT WILL REMAIN HIGH THROUGH
MUCH OF TODAY AS BRISK ONSHORE FLOW CONTINUES. TIDES WILL ALSO LIKELY
INCREASE ALONG THE NORTHSHORE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN DURING THE
MORNING DUE TO STRONG SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH WINDS...RESULTING IN STORM
SURGE FLOODING ALONG LOW LYING AREAS.

TIDES ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 6 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...AND 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TODAY AS WINDS MAINTAIN AN
ONSHORE SOUTHEAST DIRECTION. STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 6 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 AND BAYOUS WILL LIKELY OCCUR
AS THE TIDES INCREASE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
RITA IS A WEAKENING HURRICANE WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES FROM THE CENTER. WIND GUSTS
OF 35 MPH ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

...RAINFALL...
OCCASIONAL SQUALLS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT...AND POSSIBLY
INTO SUNDAY. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF FOUR TO SIX INCHES COULD FALL
THROUGH SUNDAY. LOCAL RAINFALL UP TO 8 INCHES IS POSSIBLE IN SOME
AREAS...ESPECIALLY WEST OF NEW ORLEANS. DEBRIS FROM HURRICANE KATRINA
DAMAGE REMAINS IN DRAINAGE CANALS AND MAY HINDER RAINFALL RUNOFF.
PUMPING STATION CAPACITY STILL REMAINS DEGRADED DUE TO HURRICANE
KATRINA. SOME FLOODING DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AND LIMITED PUMPING
CAPACITY HAS OCCURRED IN THE METRO NEW ORLEANS AREA.

...TORNADO THREAT...
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 5 PM. SEVERAL REPORTS OF
FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED...BUT NO CONFIRMED REPORTS OF
TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL
LIKELY CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA THROUGHOUT THE
DAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THIS IS THE LAST HURRICANE RITA LOCAL STATEMENT.

$$

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