[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KTBW 051409
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-051600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE FRANCES LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
959 AM EDT SUN SEP 5 2004

...HURRICANE FRANCES SLOWLY APPROACHING WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA...
...THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
CITRUS...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...
LEVY...MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...SARASOTA...HARDEE...
HIGHLANDS...POLK...SUMTER...

...WATCH/WARNING INFORMATION...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH THE
SUWANNEE RIVER. AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
SUMTER...POLK...HIGHLANDS AND HARDEE COUNTIES...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR UNTIL 2 PM EDT TODAY FOR
LEVY...CITRUS...HERNANDO...PASCO...SUMTER...PINELLAS...
HILLSBOROUGH...POLK...
...A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR ALL COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 9 AM EDT...THE LARGE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 27.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE  80.9 WEST...ABOUT 35 MILES EAST OF
SEBRING FLORIDA. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 110 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF TAMPA
FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING TO THE WEST NORTHWEST AT
ABOUT 7 MPH.

...CURRENT RADAR INFORMATION...
OUTER RAIN BANDS FROM FRANCES EXTEND OVER MOST OF WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. INNER RAINBANDS NEAR THE CENTER OF FRANCES ARE
MOVING INTO EASTERN POLK...EASTERN HIGHLANDS COUNTIES MOVING
SOUTH AT 40 MPH.

...WIND INFORMATION...
THE CENTER OF FRANCES IS APPROACHING EASTERN POLK AND EASTERN
HIGHLANDS COUNTIES AND WILL CONTINUE NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS POLK COUNTY
AND INTO THE NATURE COAST BY THIS EVENING. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL
OCCUR NEAR THE CENTER OF FRANCES OVER INLAND COUNTIES THIS
MORNING...WITH HURRICANE FORCE SUSTAINED WINDS OR WIND GUSTS
POSSIBLE.  AS FRANCES WEAKENS AND NEARS THE WEST COAST TODAY...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 35 TO 50 MPH...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
GUSTS...CAN BE EXPECTED OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

...STORM SURGE...
WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY LATE TODAY INTO TONIGHT AS
FRANCES MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE REGION AND BACK INTO
THE GULF OF MEXICO. WATER LEVELS 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS AREAS WITH A SOUTHWEST EXPOSURE FROM FORT MYERS
BEACH TO CEDAR KEY. BEACH EROSION AND SPLASHOVER IS LIKELY.

...FLOOD INFORMATION...
THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF FRANCES WILL PROLONG HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE
STATE WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES NORTH AND EAST OF THE
CENTER OF FRANCES AND 3 TO 6 INCHES ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES OF
FRANCES. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR.  MODERATE TO MAJOR
FLOODING MAY DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA LATE TONIGHT
AND SUNDAY...WITH MOST RIVERS AND STREAMS RISING OUT OF THEIR BANKS.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS...CREEKS...AND RIVERS ACROSS THE
REGION SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING AND TAKE ACTIONS
TO PROTECT PROPERTY.

IN ADDITION...THE HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF MANY URBAN LOW
LYING AREAS. SOME STREET AND INTERSECTION CLOSURES ARE LIKELY LATER
TODAY OR ON MONDAY WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAIN FALLS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE PATH OF FRANCES ALONG THE EAST COAST HAVE
BEEN UP TO 10 INCHES WITH MORE RAIN FALLING. ISOLATED AREAS OF 3
INCHES OF RAIN WERE FOUND FROM LAKELAND TO SEBRING. OVER COASTAL
AREAS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE
BEEN ONE INCH OR LESS SO FAR.  RAINFALL INTENSITY WILL PICK UP
SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE TRACK DURING THE DAY.

...MARINE INFORMATION...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE OCCURRING AS THE OUTER BANDS MOVE
OFFSHORE. WINDS AND SEAS WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY AS FRANCES
MOVES CLOSER. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

...TORNADO INFORMATION...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE EXPECTED TO FORM AS SPIRAL BANDS CONTINUE TO
MOVE WESTWARD THROUGH THE AREA. ANY TORNADOES THAT FORM WILL MOVE
VERY QUICKLY SOUTHWESTWARD.

...SHELTER AND ROAD STATUS...
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR SHELTER AND
ROAD STATUS.

...PRECAUTIONARY ACTIONS...
IF TORNADO WARNINGS ARE ISSUED...PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IN A
SMALL ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR SUCH AS A CLOSET OR BATHROOM. PUT AS
MANY WALLS BETWEEN YOU AND THE STORMS WINDS AS POSSIBLE. STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS. KEEP A BATTERY OPERATED NOAA WEATHER RADIO WITH YOU OR
AM FM RADIO TO RECEIVE UPDATES AND WARNINGS.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON.

$$

PAXTON


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