[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KTAE 061207
HLSTLH
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-061600-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
810 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004

...STRONG TROPICAL STORM FRANCES HEADING FOR THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND
THE PANHANDLE...

...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 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST GULF COAST
OF FLORIDA FROM ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO DESTIN...
...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST
ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG
BEND AND PANHANDLE...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM EDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...
...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND
SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM EDT...TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 29.1
NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.6 WEST...OR 110 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA
FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...BUT IS
EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY TURN NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON AND HEAD TOWARDS
THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...FRANCES
WILL MAKE LANDFALL IN THE WARNING AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 980 MB...OR 28.94 INCHES.
SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 12 HOURS AND FRANCES
MAY REGAIN CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE IT MAKES LANDFALL
AGAIN LATER TODAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE THIS MORNING AS RAIN
BANDS SPREAD WESTWARD OVER THE REGION. THE WORST CONDITIONS WILL BE
EAST OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE AND APALACHICOLA RIVERS INITIALLY...BUT
WILL SPREAD WESTWARD LATER THIS MORNING. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. RESIDENTS SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR POWER OUTAGES AND POOR TRAVELING CONDITIONS.

...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. SO FAR THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS OCCURRED OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF
THE BIG BEND WITH TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. HOWEVER...THE FREQUENCY
AND INTENSITY OF THE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AS THE DAY GOES ON.
HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST TONIGHT...WITH
RAINFALL TOTALS FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES...AND LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
POSSIBLE. THIS WILL CAUSE FLOODING IN MANY AREAS...ESPECIALLY IN
URBAN AND LOW LYING AREAS...AND NEAR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS.
RESIDENTS NEAR SMALL EARTHEN DAMS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY RISING
WATER AND POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING IF THE DAM BREAKS. TRAVEL WILL
BECOME VERY HAZARDOUS TODAY AS HEAVY RAIN GREATLY REDUCES VISIBILITY
AND CAUSES FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. MANY TROPICAL CYCLONE RELATED
DEATHS HAVE COME FROM MOTORISTS BEING SWEPT AWAY BY RAPIDLY RISING
WATER.

...WIND IMPACTS...
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE LOCAL AREA INDICATE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 25
MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ARE OCCURRING...MAINLY IN HEAVIER SHOWERS.
HOWEVER...LOCAL MARINE BUOYS SHOW SUSTAINED WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 50 MPH. WIND GUSTS MAY APPROACH 75 MPH ALONG THE COAST
IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA LATER TODAY AS THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE
OVER INLAND AREAS TODAY. 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 TODAY...BUT MAY REACH 8 TO 10 FEET FROM OCHLOCKONEE
BAY TO THE AUCILLA RIVER BY EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE CENTER NEARS
SHORE. THIS WILL CAUSE SERIOUS COASTAL FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION.

LOCAL TIDES OF INTEREST FOR TODAY...

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

SAINT MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE...
LOW TIDE...238 PM...HIGH TIDE...936 PM.

APALACHICOLA...
LOW TIDE...506 PM.

...RIP CURRENTS...
STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL DEVELOP TODAY FROM ST GEORGE ISLAND TO
DESTIN AS THE WAVE ACTION INCREASES.

...TORNADOES...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING...PARTICULARLY OVER
SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE BIG BEND. THIS
THREAT WILL SPREAD INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
LATER TODAY. 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 12 PM EDT BY
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA.

$$

BLOCK

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