[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KKEY 301533 CCA
HLSKEY
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-301700-

TROPICAL DEPRESSION LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1130 AM EDT WED AUG 30 2006

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING CANCELLED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...ERNESTO WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION...
...CONDITIONS OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL IMPROVE THIS AFTERNOON...

...NEW INFORMATION...
TROPICAL STORM WARNING CANCELLED. PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS UPDATED TO
INCLUDE INFORMATION CONCERNING GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND
FACILITIES...SCHOOLS...AND AIRPORT INFORMATION...AS WELL AS STRONG
WORDING ON DRIVING HAZARDS. STORM INFORMATION UPDATED. ALL MENTIONS
OF STORM SURGE AND TIDES HAVE BEEN REMOVED. MARINE SECTION HAS BEEN
UPDATED TO EMPHASIZE MARINE HAZARDS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. INCLUDED
STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY
INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS AND COASTAL WATERS
HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION ERNESTO WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.9 WEST. THIS PLACES
THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION INLAND OVER THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA
PENINSULA...SOME 110 MILES NORTH OF ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA. ERNESTO IS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 10 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY ALONG THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 35 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
NO CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS IS FORECAST WHILE ERNESTO IS OVER LAND.
HOWEVER...RAINBANDS CONTAINING STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE KEYS AREA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 1003 MB...OR 29.62 INCHES
OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE KEYS THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS IN PASSING SQUALLS...COMBINED WITH
BLINDING DOWNPOURS AND STANDING WATER ON THE ROADWAYS...COULD MAKE
DRIVING TREACHEROUS ALONG THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY AND SECONDARY ROADS.
STREET FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED ALONG KEY DEER BOULEVARD IN BIG
PINE KEY...AND MINOR STREET FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED ELSEWHERE
ALONG THE KEYS...OTHERWISE THE ROADWAYS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE WITH NO
STORM DAMAGE. BE EXTRA CAREFUL IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUT THIS MORNING
AND EARLY AFTERNOON. KEYS SHELTERS ARE CLOSED. THE MONROE COUNTY
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WILL SCALE DOWN TO A PARTIAL ACTIVATION
AT NOON TODAY. THE AIRPORTS AT KEY WEST AND MARATHON ARE OPEN. CALL
YOUR AIR CARRIER FOR SPECIFIC FLIGHT INFORMATION. COUNTY AND STATE
PARKS WILL OPEN TOMORROW. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES WILL OPEN TOMORROW.
OPENING TOMORROW. STUDENTS WILL RESUME CLASSES TOMORROW. CITY OF KEY
WEST OFFICES ARE OPEN. CITY OF MARATHON AND ISLAMORADA OFFICES OPEN.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
NO FURTHER STORM SURGE OR TIDE IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED.

...WINDS...
WIND GAUGES AROUND THE KEYS AREA THE PAST FEW HOURS HAVE BEEN
REGISTERING WIND GUSTS AROUND 25 KNOTS...HOWEVER DOPPLER RADAR
VELOCITY ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE
POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER CELLS EMBEDDED IN PASSING SQUALLS.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION RADAR ESTIMATES SHOW RAINFALL TOTALS
GENERALLY AROUND 1 TO 3 INCHES IN THE LOWER KEYS...WITH SOME 3 TO 6
INCHES OF RAIN FROM CUDJOE KEY EASTWARD. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE ON KEYS ISLANDS TODAY IN QUICKLY PASSING SHOWERS. BE
ALERT TO STANDING WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND PONDING OF WATER IN POORLY
DRAINED AREAS.

...MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS. THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...SQUALLS
CONTAINING WINDS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL OCCUR OVER THE
FLORIDA KEYS COASTAL WATERS. MARINERS NEED TO CHECK THE COASTAL
WATERS FORECAST AND SHORT TERM FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN KEY WEST BEFORE VENTURING OUT THIS AFTERNOON.
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE LATER THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER
SEA CONDITIONS MAY REMAIN HAZARDOUS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE
BRIDGES AT JEWFISH CREEK AND SNAKE CREEK ARE NOW OPEN.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THIS WILL BE THE LAST TROPICAL DEPRESSION LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ERNESTO TO BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE IN KEY WEST. REMEMBER TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

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