[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KKEY 300300
HLSKEY
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-300630-

TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1130 PM EDT TUE AUG 29 2006

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING 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 1100 PM EDT ADVISORY
INFORMATION. RAINFALL AND WIND REPORTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.

...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 FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN
EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS DUE TO POSSIBLE HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 24.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.5 WEST...JUST A FEW MILES
SOUTHEAST OF ISLAMORADA. THE CENTER OF ERNESTO WAS ALSO 35 MILES
EAST NORTHEAST OF MARATHON...AND 80 MILES NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS ERNESTO HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH
NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. A TURN TO THE NORTH WITH AN INCREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ERNESTO IS
EXPECTED TO REACH THE FLORIDA PENINSULA DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
AFTER LANDFALL...THE CENTER OF ERNESTO SHOULD REMAIN OVER THE
FLORIDA PENINSULA FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
ARE NEAR 45 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SLOW WEAKENING IS EXPECTED
AFTER THE CENTER OF ERNESTO MOVES OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...AND
ERNESTO COULD WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION WEDNESDAY MORNING. HE
LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
WAS 1004 MB...OR 29.65 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE KEYS
OVERNIGHT. GUSTY WINDS IN SQUALLS WILL MAKE DRIVING DANGEROUS...DO
NOT VENTURE OUT UNLESS NECESSARY. KEYS SHELTERS REMAIN OPEN AND
INCLUDE KEY WEST HIGH SCHOOL AT 2100 FLAGLER AVENUE...STANLEY
SWITLIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT 3400 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY IN MARATHON...AND
CORAL SHORES HIGH SCHOOL AT MILE MARKER 89 ON PLANTATION KEY. ALL
KEYS HURRICANE SHELTERS ARE TO BE CLOSED BY 1000 AM WEDNESDAY. THE
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IS TO BE DEACTIVATED BY
NOON WEDNESDAY. THE KEYS AIRPORTS REMAIN CLOSED OVERNIGHT...BUT ARE
EXPECTED TO REOPEN SOMETIME WEDNESDAY. ALL COUNTY AND STATE PARKS
REMAIN CLOSED. MONROE COUNTY WILL KEEP OFFICES CLOSED WEDNESDAY.
TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE TO REPORT TO MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS WEDNESDAY
MORNING...BUT STUDENTS WILL NOT RESUME CLASSES UNTIL THURSDAY. CITY
OF KEY WEST OFFICES WILL REOPEN WEDNESDAY...AS WELL AS LODGING
ENTITIES. CITY OF MARATHON AND ISLAMORADA OFFICES ARE ALSO SCHEDULED
TO REOPEN WEDNESDAY.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
STORM TIDE OF 1 TO 2 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
REGISTERING GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 TO 45 MPH...MAINLY WITHIN RAINBANDS.
MARINE REPORTING STATIONS SURROUNDING THE UPPER AND MIDDLE KEYS HAVE
BEEN REPORTING GUSTS RANGING BETWEEN 35 TO 40 KNOTS OVER THE PAST
FEW HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT
ALONG THE KEYS.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH ISOLATED HIGHER
AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS SO FAR
TODAY RANGE FROM AROUND ONE TO ONE AND HALF INCHES IN THE LOWER
KEYS...AND TWO TO FOUR INCHES IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. A FLOOD
WATCH REMAINS 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.

...MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT REMAIN IN PORT. THE BRIDGES AT JEWFISH CREEK AND SNAKE
CREEK ARE LOCKED DOWN. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS 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 OVERNIGHT.

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

$$

L. KASPER



















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