[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMFL 300704 CCA
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-301100-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
258 AM EDT WED AUG 30 2006

...ERNESTO ENTERS THE SOUTH FLORIDA MAINLAND OVER SOUTHWESTERN MIAMI
DADE COUNTY...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN SOUTH FLORIDA
AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE: COLLIER...
GLADES...HENDRY...PALM BEACH...BROWARD...MIAMI-DADE AND MAINLAND
MONROE.

...NEW INFORMATION...
CORRECTED MARINE IMPACTS SECTION.
UPDATED WATCHES/WARNINGS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED WINDS.
UPDATED INLAND FLOODING.
UPDATED TORNADO IMPACTS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE ATLANTIC
COAST OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA, LAKE OKEECHOBEE, THE NORTH COAST OF
FLORIDA BAY AND THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA.

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA
THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT...TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.2
NORTH, LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHWEST OF MIAMI. ERNESTO HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-
NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. A TURN TO THE NORTH WITH AN INCREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ERNESTO IS REMAIN OVER THE
FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY AS IT TRACKS NORTH.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL PERSONS ARE URGED TO STAY INDOORS AND LIMIT TRAVEL TO ALL BUT
EMERGENCIES TONIGHT AS TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO AFFECTS THE AREA.

A FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA. THIS MEANS THAT
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLOODING TO OCCUR TODAY AS RAINS
FROM ERNESTO CONTINUE TO AFFECT SOUTH FLORIDA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
EFFECTS FROM STORM SURGE ARE EXPECTED TO BE MINIMAL AS TROPICAL
STORM ERNESTO WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW HURRICANE FORCE.

NEVERTHELESS...A STORM TIDE OF 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL IS
POSSIBLE ALONG THE BISCAYNE BAY SHORELINE OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND
THE BARRIER ISLANDS OF BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK. THE TIME OF THE
HIGHEST STORM TIDE, SURGE PLUS NORMAL TIDE LEVEL, WOULD BE EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING WHICH IS THE TIME OF THE NORMAL HIGH TIDE. FROM
MIDNIGHT THROUGH 6 AM WEDNESDAY, WATER COULD ALSO PILE UP TO 3 FEET
IN THE NORTH END OF BISCAYNE BAY WITH A WIND DIRECTLY FROM THE SOUTH.
THIS MAY CAUSE MINIMAL FLOODING OF BEACH ACCESS ROADS FOR A SHORT
TIME.

ACROSS LAKE OKEECHOBEE...THE CURRENT LAKE LEVEL IS 12.1 FEET WHICH IS
WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. ON THE CURRENT FORECAST
TRACK, A STORM SURGE OF 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE CURRENT LAKE LEVELS OR A
STORM TIDE OF 14 TO 15 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL IS POSSIBLE. THE
SURGE WOULD AFFECT THE GLADES AND HENDRY COUNTY SHORELINE WEDNESDAY
MORNING AND GRADUALLY MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHERN SHORE FROM BUCKHEAD
RIDGE TO THE TOWN OF OKEECHOBEE TO PORT MAYACA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
ON THE PRESENT FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ERNESTO WOULD JUST WEST
OF THE LAKE, WHICH WOULD CAUSE HIGHLY TURBULENT AND CONFUSED WATERS
AND HIGH WAVES OUTSIDE LEVEE PROTECTION. PERSONS WITH TRAILERS OR
PROPERTY OUTSIDE LEVEE PROTECTION ON TORRY OR KREAMER ISLANDS SHOULD
TAKE PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY.

...WINDS...
OVER SOUTH FLORIDA...SUSTAINED WINDS OVERNIGHT HAVE BEEN AVERAGING
ABOUT 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 30 AND 35 MPH...EXCEPT SOMEWHAT
LOWER OVER THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF COLLIER AND MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTIES AND THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION. SUSTAINED WINDS COULD
INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH ACROSS MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA AS ERNESTO
MOVES OVER THE AREA, WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH STILL POSSIBLE, AS
RAIN BANDS MOVE ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY. CONDITIONS WILL THEN
BEGIN TO GRADUALLY IMPROVE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS
MAINLAND MONROE AND MIAMI DADE COUNTIES TO MID TO LATE AFTERNOON
ACROSS THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION.

SMALL TREES MAY BE UPROOTED AND TREE LIMBS MAY BREAK OFF WITH WIND
GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 MPH. THIS MAY CAUSE DOWNED POWER LINES AND CAUSE
LOCAL TO SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.

GENERATORS IN USE CREATE CARBON MONOXIDE GAS, A COLORLESS ODORLESS
GAS THAT CAN KILL IN POORLY VENTILATED AREAS. ALWAYS OPERATE
GENERATORS WITH PLENTY OF FRESH AIR FLOW, NEVER IN A CLOSED GARAGE.

...INLAND FLOODING...
BANDS OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ONSHORE THE EAST COAST AND
SPREAD NORTH ACROSS THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION EARLY THIS
MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAIN BANDS ARE BEGINNING TO SPREAD FROM WEST
TO EAST ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CIRCULATION, AS ERNESTO MOVES
NORTH, BEGINNING FROM MAINLAND MONROE AND MIAMI DADE COUNTIES
AND WILL SPREAD NORTH THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ACROSS THE
REMINDER OF SOUTH FLORIDA. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES SHOW RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES, WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS, HAVE FALLEN
SINCE YESTERDAY ACROSS THE NORTHERN FLORIDA KEYS. AS THE RAIN BANDS
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ERNESTO'S CIRCULATION SPREAD NORTH TODAY, TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS AS HIGH
AS 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA MAINLY
OVER AND TO THE EAST OF THE ACTUAL TRACK OF ERNESTO. AREAS TO THE
WEST OF THE TRACK MAY SEE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

FISHEATING CREEK IN GLADES COUNTY IS CURRENTLY RUNNING JUST BELOW
FLOOD STAGE. IF RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 INCHES OF RAIN OR MORE FALL
NORTH OF THE CREEK AS ERNESTO TRACKS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY, THE
CREEK COULD REACH FLOOD STAGE BY THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK. THIS
MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING IN THE FISHEATING CREEK CAMPSITE NEAR
PALMDALE.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 KNOTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED AT FOWEY ROCK
CMAN STATION, 8 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF KEY BISCAYNE, EARLIER THIS
MORNING IN RAIN BANDS. WIND GUSTS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL
CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE IN RAIN BANDS WHICH WILL SPREAD NORTH OVER
THE ATLANTIC WATERS OF MIAMI DADE TO PALM BEACH COUNTIES TODAY
PARTICULARLY NEARSHORE BEFORE BEGINNING TO TAPER OFF GRADUALLY FROM
SOUTH TO NORTH STARTING LATE IN THE MORNING HOURS.

ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE, TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE
BEGINNING THIS MORNING. THE WINDS SHOULD BE DECREASING ACROSS THE LAKE
BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

OVER THE NEAR SHORE GULF COASTAL WATERS OF MAINLAND MONROE AND
COLLIER COUNTIES, TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE
THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS OF COLLIER
COUNTY, SOME GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN
THE SPIRAL BANDS OF SQUALLS THROUGH THE SAME PERIOD.

MARINERS ARE STRONGLY URGED TO REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS
SUBSIDE LATE WEDNESDAY.

...TORNADOES...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THE BANDS THAT WILL
AFFECT SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY. THE CHANCE IS BEST OVER THE EASTERN HALF
OF SOUTH FLORIDA FROM THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION SOUTH AND EAST TO
THE NEARSHORE ATLANTIC WATERS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WILL BE ISSUED BY
THE MIAMI WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE AROUND 6 AM EDT WEDNESDAY MORNING.

$$

SANTOS


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