[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KEYW 041235
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-041530-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...HURRICANE FRANCES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
835 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.

...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 800 AM THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
26.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.4 WEST...VERY NEAR FREEPORT ON GRAND
BAHAMA ISLAND OR ABOUT 140 MILES NORTHEAST OF OCEAN REEF. FRANCES
WAS MOVING WEST 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.

TOLLS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED ON CARD SOUND ROAD.

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

...WIND IMPACTS...
OUTER SPIRAL BANDS ARE MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE UPPER KEYS.
SUSTAINED WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 26 AND 36 KNOTS ARE
OCCURRING AT LONG KEY IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA BAY...AS WELL AS AT FOWEY
ROCKS AND MOLASSES REEF LIGHT SOUTHEAST OF THE UPPER KEYS. GUSTS
HAVE REACHED BETWEEN 36 AND 52 KNOTS.

THESE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE MIDDLE
KEYS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

...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 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 1130 AM EDT.

$$

FUTTERMAN/DFM/JR




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