[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 241923
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-056-058>070-242230-

TROPICAL STORM RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
220 PM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

...STORM TIDE FLOODING CONTINUES TO SPREAD INLAND ON THE WEST BANK OF
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...

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

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

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

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 94.2 WEST...OR BETWEEN SHREVEPORT AND
LUFKIN TEXAS.

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

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IN INTENSITY IS EXPECTED TODAY AS RITA MOVES
INLAND.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
STORM SURGE FLOODING REMAINS A PRIMARY THREAT THROUGH TONIGHT.
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 HAS SPREAD
NORTHWARD INTO UPPER TERREBONNE UPPER...UPPER LAFOURCHE AND
UPPER JEFFERSON PARISH AND THE WEST BANK OF ST CHARLES PARISH.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT LOCAL LEVEES ARE IN DANGER OF
BEING OVER TOPPED. STORM SURGE FLOODING IS LIKELY ON THE NORTH SHORE
OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. 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 REMAIN HIGH THROUGH MUCH OF TODAY AND TONIGHT AS BRISK
ONSHORE FLOW CONTINUES. TIDES ARE RUNNING 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IN
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN DUE TO STRONG SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH WINDS...
RESULTING IN STORM SURGE FLOODING IN ST TAMMANY PARISH.

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 THROUGH TONIGHT AS WINDS
MAINTAIN AN ONSHORE SOUTHEAST DIRECTION. STORM TIDES OF 4 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 TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP
TO 140 MILES FROM THE CENTER. SOUTH WINDS OF 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35
MPH ARE OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
TONIGHT.

...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 9 PM. THE THREAT OF
TORNADOES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL OCCUR AT 5 PM CDT.

$$

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