[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KTAE 061856
HLSTLH
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-062200-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
255 PM EDT MON SEP 6 2004

...FRANCES MAKES LANDFALL NEAR ST. MARKS IN THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...

...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 FROM THE SUWANEE RIVER TO
INDIAN PASS...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FROM THE SUWANNEE
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 8 PM EDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL GEORGIA AND 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 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS CROSSING THE
COAST IN THE VICINITY OF LATITUDE 30.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.1 WEST...
NEAR ST. MARKS FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST
NEAR 8 MPH. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF FRANCES SHOULD MOVE WELL
INLAND DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE
NEAR 65 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BECAUSE FRANCES IS MOVING INLAND THE
CHANCES OF BECOMING A HURRICANE HAVE DIMINISHED. 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 BE POOR THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE
FLORIDA BIG BEND AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AS FRANCES MOVES
NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE REGION. THIS AFTERNOON...THE WORST
CONDITIONS WILL BE EAST OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE AND APALACHICOLA RIVERS.
RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO 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 THE BIG BEND WITH
TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL OF THE DAY IS NOW
OCCURRING ACROSS THE BIG BEND AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL
GEORGIA. HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST TONIGHT...WITH
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES...AND LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE...AS RAINBANDS MOVE ONSHORE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO.
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 HAS BECOME VERY HAZARDOUS
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...
IN THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL
GEORGIA...OBSERVATIONS IN FROM THE LOCAL AREA INDICATE SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 TO 40 MPH ARE OCCURRING. IN
EXTREME SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
OBSERVATIONS INDICATE WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 TO 35
MPH. HOWEVER...LOCAL MARINE BUOYS SHOW SUSTAINED WINDS 35 TO 40 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. 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 2 TO 4 FEET TODAY MAINLY FROM THE AUCILLA RIVER TO THE SUWANNEE
RIVER. DURING THE NEXT 12 HOURS...SUSTAINED ONSHORE WINDS IN THIS
REGION COULD REACH AS HIGH AS 45 TO 50 MPH.

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 CAN BE EXPECTED FROM ST GEORGE ISLAND TO
DESTIN DUE TO THE INCREASED WAVE ACTION.

...TORNADOES...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...PARTICULARLY OVER SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AND
THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. TORNADOES IN A TROPICAL CYCLONE CAN DEVELOP
SUDDENLY WITH LITTLE WARNING. THEY 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 6 PM EDT BY
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA.

$$

BLOCK/WATSON

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