[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KEYW 040900
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-041300-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...HURRICANE FRANCES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
500 AM EDT SAT SEP 4 2004

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM OCEAN REEF TO THE SEVEN
MILE BRIDGE...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
STORM LOCATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
NEW STRIKE PROBABILITIES ARE AVAILABLE.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT DETAILS SPECIFIC PREPAREDNESS AND SAFETY ACTIONS TO
BE TAKEN IN THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY CONCERNING THE EFFECTS
OF HURRICANE FRANCES.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
KEYS...FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO FLORIDA CITY INCLUDING FLORIDA
BAY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH
ARE LIKELY IN THE WARNED AREA...WITHIN 24 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 AM THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
26.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.1 WEST OR ABOUT 150 MILES NORTHEAST OF
OCEAN REEF. FRANCES WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT 6 MPH. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 105 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FRANCES WAS A
STRONG CATEGORY TWO ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ESTIMATED MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 960 MB...OR 28.35 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ARE ON LEVEL TWO PARTIAL
ACTIVATION. ALL COUNTY OFFICES ARE CLOSED INCLUDING LIBRARIES.

TOLLS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED ON CARD SOUND ROAD.

RESIDENTS IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
RECENT WINDS AT MOLASSES REEF AT KEY LARGO...AND AT FOWEY ROCKS IN
BISCAYNE BAY...WERE FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 35 MPH GUSTING TO 50.
BRIEFLY HIGHER GUSTS WILL OCCUR IN SQUALLS.

THESE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL EXPAND TOWARD THE MIDDLE KEYS
TODAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT THROUGHOUT THE KEYS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT TODAY. SEAS
WILL BUILD TO 15 FEET BEYOND THE REEF THIS AFTERNOON. BAY WATERS
WILL BE VERY ROUGH.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDE LEVELS IN THE MIDDLE KEYS ARE ABOUT ONE-HALF FOOT ABOVE NORMAL
AT THIS TIME. DAMAGING STORM SURGE IS NOT EXPECTED. THE STRONG NORTH
WINDS WILL CAUSE TIDE LEVELS TO REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE BAY
SIDE OF THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS.

TIMES OF HIGH TIDES TODAY:
OCEAN REEF IN KEY LARGO...111 PM.
VACA CUT IN MARATHON...127 PM.
WHALE HARBOR CHANNEL...137 PM.
KEY WEST HARBOR...238 PM.

...PROBABILITIES...
HERE IS THE CHANCE THAT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL PASS
WITHIN 75 MILES OF:
MARATHON 2 PERCENT...
MIAMI 19 PERCENT.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE FRANCES
IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 830 AM EDT.

$$

DFM/JR

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