[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KTAE 052117
HLSTLH
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-060015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE FRANCES LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
515 PM EDT SUN SEP 5 2004

...STRONG TROPICAL STORM FRANCES APPROACHING THE WEST-CENTRAL COAST OF
FLORIDA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA...

INLAND WALTON...COASTAL WALTON...HOLMES...JACKSON...WASHINGTON...
CALHOUN...BAY...GULF...GADSDEN...LIBERTY...FRANKLIN...LEON...
WAKULLA...JEFFERSON...MADISON...TAYLOR...LAFAYETTE AND DIXIE.

IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...

COFFEE...DALE...GENEVA...HENRY AND HOUSTON.

IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...

BAKER...BEN HILL...BERRIEN...BROOKS...CALHOUN...CLAY...COLQUITT...
COOK...DECATUR...DOUGHERTY...EARLY...GRADY...IRWIN...LANIER...
LEE...LOWNDES...MILLER...MITCHELL...QUITMAN...RANDOLPH...SEMINOLE...
TERRELL...THOMAS...TIFT...TURNER AND WORTH.

...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION...
...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM
THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO DESTIN...
...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT FOR LANIER...BROOKS...
COOK...LOWNDES AND BERRIEN COUNTIES IN GEORGIA...AND MADISON...TAYLOR...DIXIE
AND LAFAYETTE COUNTIES IN FLORIDA.
...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 PM EDT...HURRICANE FRANCES WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 28.0 NORTH...
LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST...OR 20 MILES EAST OF TAMPA FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING
WEST-NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH. THIS MOTION WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
THE CENTER OF FRANCES SHOULD MOVE INTO GULF OF MEXICO LATER THIS EVENING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 975 MB...OR 28.79 INCHES. FRANCES
MAY REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE NEAREST OUTER RAIN BANDS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH FRANCES ARE MOVING
THROUGH SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND.
THE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BRIEF AND ACCOMPANIED
BY WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AS THEY MOVE QUICKLY TO THE WEST-SOUTHWEST. WEATHER
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE THROUGH TONIGHT. THEREFORE...RESIDENTS
IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD ACT NOW TO MAKE THE NECESSARY PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
OFFICIALS. HAVE FLASHLIGHTS...BATTERIES AND A BATTERY OPERATED RADIO IN CASE OF
POWER FAILURES. NEVER USE CANDLES DUE TO THE HIGH RISK OF FIRE. HAVE A FULLY
STOCKED HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS KIT AVAILABLE.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL INFORMATION...
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL GEORGIA...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL SPREAD FROM SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST OVER THE AREA TONIGHT...AND CONTINUE
THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY NIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS FROM 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THESE RAINFALL TOTALS ARE
DEPENDANT UPON THE EXACT TRACK AND FORWARD SPEED OF FRANCES AS IT MOVES OVER THE
AREA. IF THE STORM WERE TO SLOW SIGNIFICANTLY OR EVEN STALL...RAINFALL TOTALS
COULD BE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER.

FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS LIKELY. STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS IN CITIES
AND TOWNS WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING. AREAS ALONG THE GULF COAST OF
NORTHWEST FLORIDA WILL BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO FLOODING DURING HIGH TIDES
ON MONDAY. MOST AREA RIVERS ARE RELATIVELY LOW...HOWEVER IF THE HIGHER RAINFALL
AMOUNTS ARE REALIZED...IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME WILL REACH OR EXCEED FLOOD STAGE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE OFFICIAL TRACK...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS HAVE BEGUN TO AFFECT
THE APALACHEE BAY AND SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 39 MPH OR GREATER WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTHWEST
ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND NORTHWEST
FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT AND MONDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS
COULD REACH 70 MPH IN GUSTS WITH SOME OF THE HEAVIER RAIN BANDS...ESPECIALLY
OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES AND GULF WATERS AS FRANCES APPROACHES THE EASTERN
PANHANDLE COAST. SOME DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE
WINDS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE STORM SURGE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE COAST OF APALACHEE BAY WILL REACH 4 TO 6
FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ON MONDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME COASTAL FLOODING
AND BEACH EROSION.

LOCAL TIDES OF INTEREST FOR MONDAY...

MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER...
LOW TIDE...1240 AM...HIGH TIDE...629 AM...
LOW TIDE...219 PM...HIGH TIDE...855 PM.

SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...
LOW TIDE...1218 AM...HIGH TIDE...606 AM...
LOW TIDE...238 PM...HIGH TIDE...936 PM.

APALACHICOLA...
LOW TIDE...137 AM...HIGH TIDE...751 AM...
LOW TIDE...506 PM.

...RIP CURRENTS...
THERE WILL BE INCREASED RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE GULF COAST EAST OF
APALACHICOLA LATER TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.

...TORNADOES...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SOME OF THE OUTER RAIN BANDS...
PARTICULARLY OVER SOUTH GEORGIA AND NORTH FLORIDA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THIS THREAT WILL SPREAD INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AS
FRANCES MOVES NORTHWEST ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. TORNADOES IN A
TROPICAL CYCLONE CAN DEVELOP SUDDENLY WITH LITTLE WARNING...ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT
TO SEE DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY RAIN...AND MOVE VERY QUICKLY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT SCHEDULED STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 8 PM EDT BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA.

$$

MAJ

This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net