[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KTAE 061526
HLSTLH
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-061900-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1125 AM EDT MON SEP 6 2004

...STRONG TROPICAL STORM FRANCES CONTINUES ON A TRACK TOWARDS THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND 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 IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THE SUWANEE RIVER TO
INDIAN PASS...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THE SUWANEE RIVER
TO ANNA MARIA ISLAND AND FROM INDIAN PASS 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 11 AM EDT...THE LARGE CIRCULATION CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES
WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.0 WEST OR ABOUT
60 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF
FRANCES SHOULD MOVE OVER THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE LATER
TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
ONLY A SMALL INCREASE IN THE WINDS COULD BRING FRANCES TO HURRICANE
STATUS BEFORE LANDFALL. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 85 MILES FROM THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS
980 MB...28.94 INCHES.

...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 THROUGH MID
AFTERNOON...BUT WILL SPREAD WESTWARD LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
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 2 TO 4 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 25 TO
30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 TO 40 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 THIS AFTERNOON AS THE CENTER
MAKES LANDFALL NEAR ALLIGATOR POINT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER INLAND AREAS THIS
AFTERNOON. 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 3 TO 5 FEET TODAY...BUT MAY REACH 6 TO 8 FEET FROM OCHLOCKONEE
BAY TO THE AUCILLA RIVER BY EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE CENTER NEARS
SHORE. THIS WILL CAUSE 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 MAY 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 3 PM EDT BY
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA.

$$

BLOCK/WATSON

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