[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KKEY 292127
HLSKEY
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-300030-

TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
525 PM 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 IS IN EFFECT FOR THE
FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION...
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION TO INCLUDE 500 PM EDT ADVISORY
INFORMATION. INCLUDED RECENT WIND SPEED OBSERVATIONS.

...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 IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA
KEYS DUE TO POSSIBLE HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 24.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.2 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 55
MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF KEY LARGO. THE CENTER OF ERNESTO WAS ALSO
65 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARATHON...AND 105 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF KEY
WEST. ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...THE
CENTER WILL BE NEARING THE FLORIDA KEYS AND EXTREME SOUTHERN FLORIDA
TONIGHT. HOWEVER...RAINS AND SQUALLS WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND
GUSTS ARE ARRIVING WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE CENTER. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS
STILL POSSIBLE BEFORE THE CENTER MOVES OVER LAND. THE MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS ESTIMATED
AT 1005 MB...OR 29.68 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE APPROACHING THE MIDDLE AND
UPPER KEYS FROM THE OUTER EASTERN FLORIDA STRAITS...AND WILL ARRIVE
IN PORTIONS OF THE KEYS EARLY THIS EVENING. HIGH WIND GUSTS WILL
MAKE DRIVING DANGEROUS...DO NOT VENTURE OUT UNLESS NECESSARY. KEYS
SHELTERS REMAIN OPEN AND 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. THE KEYS AIRPORTS REMAIN CLOSED. KEY WEST GREYHOUND
BUS LINES HAS CEASED OPERATIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. ALL COUNTY AND
STATE PARKS ARE CLOSED. DECISIONS ON THE STATUS OF
SCHOOLS...COUNTY...AND CITY OFFICES WILL BE MADE LATER THIS EVENING.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
STORM TIDE UP TO THREE FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL MAY OCCUR IN THE FLORIDA
KEYS. THE NEXT HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS ON
WEDNESDAY MORNING...117 AM AT ROCK HARBOR IN KEY LARGO...111 AM AT
WHALE HARBOR CHANNEL...1240 AM AT VACA CUT IN MARATHON...AND 151 AM
AT KEY WEST HARBOR.

...WINDS...
RADAR VELOCITY ESTIMATES AND ISLAND LOCATIONS ALONG THE KEYS ARE NOW
REGISTERING GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...MAINLY WITHIN RAINBANDS. MARINE
REPORTING STATIONS SURROUNDING THE UPPER AND MIDDLE KEYS HAVE ALREADY
RECORDED GUSTS RANGING BETWEEN 35 AND 55 KNOTS. SUSTAINED TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH MUCH OF THE MIDDLE AND
UPPER KEYS EARLY THIS EVENING...AND AFFECT MOST OF THE KEYS
TONIGHT.

...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 THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER ON THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY AND ON LOCAL
STREETS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN KEY WEST IS 34
PERCENT... AND 74 PERCENT AT MARATHON. THE PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS IN MARATHON IS 7 PERCENT.

...MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT REMAIN IN PORT. THE BRIDGES AT JEWFISH CREEK AND SNAKE
CREEK ARE LOCKED DOWN. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE AFFECTING THE
KEYS COASTAL WATERS AT THIS TIME...AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN A
THREAT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...TORNADOES...
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES WITH PASSAGE OF
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 830
PM EDT...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. REMEMBER TO
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

LK














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