[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 300616
HLSTBW
FLZ052-057-301000-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
217 AM EDT WED AUG 30 2006

...ERNESTO MAKES LANDFALL IN SOUTH FLORIDA...

...NEW INFORMATION...
ERNESTO IS NOW ONSHORE ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF FLAMINGO FLORIDA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 150 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF LAKE PLACID IN HIGHLANDS COUNTY. ERNESTO IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH...AND A TURN TO THE NORTH WITH
AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CENTER WILL PASS NEAR EASTERN HIGHLANDS COUNTY EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SLOW WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AND ERNESTO COULD WEAKEN TO A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATER TODAY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS IN POLK AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES IN FLORIDA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR POLK AND
HIGHLANDS COUNTIES.

A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT THROUGH 4 AM THURSDAY MORNING FOR
POLK AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES.

...WINDS...
RAIN BANDS CLOSE TO THE STORM CENTER MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 45
MPH OVER HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN POLK COUNTIES...MAINLY FROM MID-DAY
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS TODAY.

...INLAND FLOODING...
A BAND OF STEADY LIGHT RAIN IS MOVING THROUGH HIGHLANDS COUNTY
AT THIS TIME. THIS BAND WILL LIFT NORTH INTO POLK COUNTY BEFORE
DAWN. ADDITIONAL RAIN BANDS WILL MOVE ACROSS POLK AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS EXPECTED AS THE
CENTER MAKES ITS CLOSEST POINT OF APPROACH THIS AFTERNOON.

TOTAL RAINFALL THROUGH THIS EVENING IS EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 2 AND 5
INCHES. HEAVY BURSTS OF RAIN MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF STREETS AND
LOW LYING AREAS... ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
WILL BE ALONG AND EAST OF THE TRACK OF ERNESTO...WHICH IS EXPECTED TO
BE OVER THE INTERIOR FLORIDA PENINSULA.

...TORNADOES...
AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE IN RAIN BANDS TODAY.

...PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE CONDITIONS...
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...MAINLY IN GUSTS...ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD
OVER HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN POLK COUNTIES TODAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN AROUND 5 AM.

$$

JILLSON

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