[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 010945
HLSTAE

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE GUSTAV LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
545 AM EDT MON SEP 1 2008

...HURRICANE GUSTAV NEARING THE LOUISIANA COAST...

.AT 400 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.5 WEST OR ABOUT 115 MILES...
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA. THIS POSITION IS ALSO
ABOUT 230 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DESTIN. GUSTAV HAS ALREADY MADE ITS
CLOSEST APPROACH TO THE PANHANDLE COAST.

GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH...AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER WILL CROSS THE LOUISIANA COAST BY MIDDAY
TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY
THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. NO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY BEFORE LANDFALL...WITH WEAKENING
EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFTER GUSTAV MOVES INLAND LATER TODAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES. AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT REPORTED A MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 956 MB...28.23 INCHES.

FLZ008-012-014-015-GMZ750-755-770-775-011700-
/O.CON.KTAE.TR.W.1007.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
COASTAL WALTON-BAY-GULF-FRANKLIN-
COASTAL WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM  OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL OUT TO
20 NM-WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM  SUWANNEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
545 AM EDT MON SEP 1 2008 /445 AM CDT MON SEP 1 2008/

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...

...NEW INFORMATION...

HURRICANE GUSTAV HAS MADE ITS CLOSEST APPROACH TO THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE. THE THREAT FOR SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IS
DIMINISHING. WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE DISCONTINUED LATER TODAY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...

THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY PERSONS IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES OR MARINE AREAS:

COASTAL WALTON...BAY...GULF...FRANKLIN...COASTAL WATERS FROM
APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM
OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL OUT TO 20 NM...WATERS FROM
APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM...WATERS FROM
SUWANNEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...

NO ADDITIONAL HAZARDS ARE IN EFFECT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...

AT 342 AM AM CDT...THE TIDE AT PANAMA CITY WAS 2 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL. HOWEVER...AN OBSERVER AT CARRABELLE REPORTED A TIDE OF 4
FEET ABOVE NORMAL...WHICH IS HIGHER THAN WHEN HURRICANE OPAL HIT
THE FORT WALTON BEACH AREA IN 1995. TIDES WILL CONTINUE AROUND
2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL WEST OF APALACHICOLA...AND 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL IN APALACHEE BAY. FLOODING ALONG SOME ROADS HAS BEEN
REPORTED OVERNIGHT IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. FORTUNATELY THE
ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE LESS THAN 2 FEET ALONG THE PANHANDLE
COAST...SO THE HIGHEST STORM TIDES WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 5 FEET AT
THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE. STORM TIDES WILL BE A LITTLE HIGHER ALONG
THE FRANKLIN COUNTY COAST WHERE THE ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE
HIGHER...AND A STORM TIDE NEAR 7 FEET IS FORECAST AT THE TIMES OF
HIGH TIDE.

THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS HAVE CONTINUED TO DECREASE. AT THE
GULF BUOY 42039 SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY...THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE
HEIGHTS HAVE DROPPED FROM 25 FEET AT 750 PM CDT SUNDAY...TO 17
FEET AT 350 AM CDT MONDAY. SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY
SUBSIDE...BUT WILL LIKELY REMAIN ABOVE 7 FEET THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING. ALSO...HIGH SOUTHERLY SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ALONG
THE PANHANDLE BEACHES THIS MORNING FROM ST GEORGE ISLAND
WESTWARD...CAUSING BEACH EROSION...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS...AND
VERY HIGH SURF UP TO 12 FEET.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME HIGH AND LOW TIDES AT AREA BEACHES.

DESTIN...HIGH TIDE AT 111 AM CDT. LOW TIDE AT 650 AM CDT. HIGH
TIDE AT 144 PM CDT. LOW TIDE AT 631 PM CDT.

SAINT ANDREW BAY...HIGH TIDE AT 1247 AM CDT. LOW TIDE AT 613 AM
CDT. HIGH TIDE AT 120 PM CDT. LOW TIDE AT 554 PM CDT.

CARRABELLE...HIGH TIDE AT 411 AM EDT. LOW TIDE AT 928 AM EDT.
HIGH TIDE AT 418 PM EDT. LOW TIDE AT 952 PM EDT.

NOTE THAT THESE TIDES ARE REFERENCED TO MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.

...WINDS...

WINDS ACROSS THE REGION APPEARED TO HAVE PEAKED AS GUSTAV HAS
ALREADY MADE ITS CLOSEST APPROACH TO THE PANHANDLE. THE LAST
SUSTAINED WIND OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WAS AT THE GULF BUOY 42039
SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY AT 1150 PM CDT SUNDAY. HOWEVER WINDS HAVE
BEEN STILL GUSTING TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE AT THIS BUOY...AND
GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND
ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST UNTIL THE CENTER OF GUSTAV MOVES INLAND
LATER THIS MORNING.

...INLAND FLOODING...

MUCH OF THE RAIN DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH GUSTAV HAS REMAINED
OFFSHORE...AND HEAVY RAIN IS UNLIKELY AS GUSTAV PULLS FARTHER AWAY
THIS MORNING.

...TORNADOES...

THE TORNADO THREAT APPEARS LOW ACROSS THE AREA...AS MOST OF THE
FEEDER BANDS OF GUSTAV HAVE MOVED WEST OF THE REGION. THERE IS
STILL A SLIGHT CHANCE THAT...WITH DAYTIME HEATING...A FEW STORMS
COULD BECOME TORNADIC ACROSS THE PANHANDLE.

...NEXT UPDATE...

THIS STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED BY 12 PM CDT (1 PM EDT)...OR
SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

$$

FOURNIER


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