[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KKEY 272327 CCA
HLSKEY
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-280030-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
715 PM EDT SUN AUG 27 2006

CORRECTED FOR NEW INFORMATION SECTION

...HURRICANE WATCH ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...MANDATORY EVACUATION OF ALL VISITORS AND NON-RESIDENTS IN
   EFFECT...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE LATEST FORECAST ON ERNESTO HAS PROMPTED A HURRICANE WATCH
FOR THE ENTIRE STRETCH OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA STRAITS AS EARLY AS TUESDAY
MORNING.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY...
INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY AND ALL SURROUNDING WATERS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 18.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.5 WEST...OR ABOUT 625 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF MARATHON...OR 650 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST. TROPICAL
STORM ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON
THIS TRACK THE CENTER WILL MOVE AWAY FROM SOUTHWESTERN HAITI
TONIGHT...AND BE NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF EASTERN CUBA MONDAY
MORNING. REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATE
THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 60
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ERNESTO IS FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN AFTER IT
MOVES AWAY FROM SOUTHWESTERN HAITI...AND IT COULD REGAIN HURRICANE
STATUS BEFORE IT REACHES THE SOUTH COAST OF EASTERN CUBA TOMORROW
MORNING. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS ESTIMATED AT 1004 MB...OR
29.65 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS ORDERED A MANDATORY
EVACUATION OF ALL VISITORS AND NON-RESIDENTS. ALL TRAVEL TRAILERS
AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLES MUST LEAVE THE KEYS IMMEDIATELY. A LOCAL
STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED BY MONROE COUNTY. THE EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS CENTER WILL BE ACTIVATED AT LEVEL ONE AT 600 AM MONDAY.
ALL COUNTY AND STATE PARKS ARE CLOSED. THE EVACUATION OF SPECIAL
NEEDS RESIDENTS TO THE MONROE COUNTY SHELTER AT FLORIDA
INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS TO BEGIN AT 600 AM MONDAY. AT 1000 AM
MONDAY...AN EVACUATION FOR ALL MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS WILL GO IN
EFFECT. THE 18 MILE STRETCH WILL CLOSE TONIGHT AT 800 PM UNTIL 600
AM MONDAY...AND TRAFFIC WILL BE DIVERTED TO CARD SOUND ROAD. TOLLS
HAVE BEEN LIFTED ON CARD SOUND ROAD. THE MONROE COUNTY SHELTERS WILL
OPEN AT 1000 AM MONDAY. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SHOULD REMAIN
OPERATIONAL THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT.

...WINDS...
WINDS WILL REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE
KEYS POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS MIDDAY TUESDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL
BE POSSIBLE LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.

...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN KEY WEST IS 59
PERCENT...AND 61 PERCENT IN MARATHON. THE PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS IN KEY WEST IS 12 PERCENT...AND 13 PERCENT IN MARATHON.

...MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT STARTING LATE MONDAY. EAST WINDS
OF 10 TO 15 KNOTS TONIGHT...WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST
AND INCREASE TO NEAR 15 KNOTS MONDAY EVENING. WINDS AND SEAS WILL
CONTINUE TO INCREASE OVERNIGHT MONDAY...WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS REACHING THE FLORIDA STRAITS AS EARLY AS TUESDAY MORNING.
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY
NIGHT...WITH THE APPROACH OF ERNESTO.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 830 PM EDT...OR SOONER IF
NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY WEST NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

LK/MR/MS

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