[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KKEY 291231
HLSKEY
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-291600-

TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
830 AM EDT TUE AUG 29 2006

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...A FLOOD WATCH DUE TO POSSIBLE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...MANDATORY EVACUATION CONTINUES FOR VISITORS AND NON-RESIDENTS...

...NEW INFORMATION...
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION TO INCLUDE 800 AM EDT ADVISORY
INFORMATION. UPDATED WATCHES/WARNINGS TO INCLUDE A FLOOD WATCH.
UPDATED STORM SURGE INFORMATION TO INCLUDE THE LOWER KEYS.
UPDATED WIND INFORMATION TO INCLUDE POSSIBILITY OF NEAR HURRICANE
STRENGTH WINDS.

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

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...
FROM OCEAN REEF TO THE DRY TORTUGAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS
THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA
WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. IN ADDITION...A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS AND SURROUNDING WATERS INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
FLORIDA KEYS DUE TO POSSIBLE HEAVY RAINFALL LATER TODAY...TONIGHT...
AND WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 22.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 175
MILES SOUTHEAST OF KEY LARGO. ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST
NEAR 14 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR
THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ERNESTO
WILL BE NEAR THE FLORIDA KEYS OR SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BY THIS EVENING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME
STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT ERNESTO COULD BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH WHEN IT MAKES
LANDFALL ALONG THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS ESTIMATED AT 1007
MB...OR 29.74 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IS NOW ACTIVATED.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS ORDERED A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF ALL
VISITORS AND NON-RESIDENTS. TRAVEL TRAILERS AND RECREATIONAL
VEHICLES SHOULD CONTINUE TO LEAVE THE KEYS THIS MORNING. TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN PORTIONS OF THE KEYS
THIS AFTERNOON...CREATING HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE
EVACUATION OF SPECIAL NEEDS PERSONS HAS BEEN COMPLETED. MOBILE HOME
AND BOAT DWELLERS...AS WELL AS RESIDENTS RESIDING IN LOW-LYING AREAS
PRONE TO FLOODING...ARE ENCOURAGED TO UTILIZE HURRICANE SHELTERS
WITHIN THE FLORIDA KEYS. KEYS SHELTERS INCLUDE KEY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
AT 2100 FLAGLER AVENUE...SUGARLOAF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT MILE MARKER
19...STANLEY SWITLIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT 3400 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY IN
MARATHON...AND CORAL SHORES HIGH SCHOOL AT MILE MARKER 89 ON
PLANTATION KEY. COMMERCIAL AIR FLIGHTS HAVE ENDED AT KEY WEST
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE LAST GREYHOUND BUS WILL DEPART FROM THE
KEY WEST AIRPORT TERMINAL AT 845 AM THIS MORNING...AND PASSES
THROUGH KEY LARGO AT 11:25 AM. CAR RENTAL AVAILABILITY AT KEY WEST
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...AS WELL AS AT THE FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON
AIRPORT...WILL CONTINUE FROM 600 AM TO 1000 AM THIS MORNING. ALL
COUNTY AND STATE PARKS ARE CLOSED. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE CITY OF KEY WEST AND MARATHON...AS WELL AS
ALL MONROE COUNTY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED TUESDAY.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
STORM TIDE UP TO THREE FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL MAY OCCUR IN THE FLORIDA
KEYS. HIGH TIDE AT ROCK HARBOR IN KEY LARGO WILL BE AT 116 PM THIS
AFTERNOON...AND 117 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. HIGH TIDE AT WHALE HARBOR
CHANNEL UNDER THE HIGHWAY ONE BRIDGE WILL BE AT 110 PM THIS
AFTERNOON...AND 111 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. HIGH TIDE AT VACA CUT IN
MARATHON WILL BE AT 104 PM THIS AFTERNOON...AND 1240 AM WEDNESDAY
MORNING. HIGH TIDE AT KEY WEST HARBOR WILL BE AT 215 PM THIS
AFTERNOON...AND 151 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...WINDS...
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL FOR HIGH PROFILE
VEHICLES THROUGH THIS MORNING...ALTHOUGH PASSING SHOWERS WILL
CREATE GUSTY WINDS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
REACH THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS THIS AFTERNOON...AND AFFECT MOST OF
THE KEYS TONIGHT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT ERNESTO COULD BE NEAR
HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE LANDFALL.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY
RAINFALL...MAINLY THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN KEY WEST IS 42
PERCENT... AND 67 PERCENT AT MARATHON. THE PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS AT MARATHON IS 4 PERCENT.

...MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT REMAIN IN PORT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO SPREAD FROM CUBAN WATERS AND THE CAY SAL BANK OVER
WATERS OF THE OUTER FLORIDA STRAITS THIS MORNING. TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS AND HIGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH INTO NEARSHORE
WATERS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND AFFECT MOST
KEYS WATERS TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. A DECISION WILL BE
MADE TODAY WHETHER TO LOCK DOWN THE BRIDGES AT JEWFISH CREEK AND
SNAKE CREEK IF NECESSARY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1130
AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. REMEMBER TO
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

DEVANAS/FUTTERMAN







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