[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KKEY 291518
HLSKEY
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-291930-

TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1115 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...

...NEW INFORMATION...
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION TO INCLUDE 1100 AM EDT ADVISORY
INFORMATION. UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS TO REMOVE
EVACUATION WORDING. ADDED RISK FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES.

...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 1100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 23.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.5 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 135
MILES SOUTHEAST OF KEY LARGO...AND 165 SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST.
ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND
INTO TONIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ERNESTO WILL BE
NEAR THE FLORIDA KEYS LATER TONIGHT...HOWEVER...RAINS AND SQUALLS
ARE PRESENTLY ARRIVING WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE CENTER. 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 KEYS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY
THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS ESTIMATED AT 1005 MB...OR 29.68 INCHES
OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE JEWFISH AND SNAKE CREEK BRIDGES WILL BE LOCKED DOWN AT NOON.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN PORTIONS OF THE
KEYS DURING THE AFTERNOON...CREATING HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.
MOBILE HOME AND BOAT DWELLERS...AS WELL AS RESIDENTS IN LOW-LYING
AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING...ARE ENCOURAGED TO UTILIZE DESIGNATED
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 TRAFFIC HAS ENDED AT KEY
WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. KEY WEST GREYHOUND BUS LINES HAS CEASED
OPERATIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 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 1:16 PM THIS
AFTERNOON...AND 1:17 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. HIGH TIDE AT WHALE HARBOR
CHANNEL WILL BE AT 1:10 PM THIS AFTERNOON...AND 1:11 AM WEDNESDAY
MORNING. HIGH TIDE AT VACA CUT IN MARATHON WILL BE AT 1:04 PM THIS
AFTERNOON...AND 12:40 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. HIGH TIDE AT KEY WEST
HARBOR WILL BE AT 2:15 PM THIS AFTERNOON...AND 1:51 AM WEDNESDAY
MORNING.

...WINDS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED AT MOLASSES REEF
MARINE OBSERVATION STATION. SUSTAINED 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 WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS 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 77
PERCENT... AND 89 PERCENT AT MARATHON. THE PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS IS 6 PERCENT IN KEY WEST AND 6 PERCENT AT MARATHON.

...MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT REMAIN IN PORT. THE BRIDGES AT JEWFISH CREEK AND SNAKE
CREEK WILL BE LOCKED DOWN AT NOON. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AND
HIGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD FROM THE EASTERN OFFSHORE FLORIDA
STRAITS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...TO THE NEARSHORE WATERS ADJACENT TO
THE UPPER AND MIDDLE KEYS ISLAND CHAIN BY LATER THIS
AFTERNOON...AFFECTING ALL KEYS WATERS BY LATER TONIGHT INTO EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...TORNADOES...
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES WITH PASSAGE OF
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 230
PM EDT...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. REMEMBER TO
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

DEVANAS/FUTTERMAN










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