[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WWCA31 TJSJ 151317
HLSSJU
PRZ001>013-VIZ001-002-AMZ710>750-151630-

BULLETIN-IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM JEANNE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JUAN PR
917 AM AST WED SEP 15 2004

...JEANNE NEARING HURRICANE STRENGTH AS RAINBANDS REACH EASTERN
PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS AND
VISITORS OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF PUERTO RICO...INCLUDING
CULEBRA AND VIEQUES AND MONA ISLAND.

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ST CROIX...ST THOMAS...ST JOHN
AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN 24
HOURS OR LESS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ST CROIX...ST THOMAS...
ST JOHN AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR CULEBRA AND VIEQUES...AND
FOR ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN PUERTO RICO EAST OF A LINE FROM MANATI TO
PONCE.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF PUERTO
RICO.

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ST CROIX...ST THOMAS...
ST JOHN AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS...FOR VIEQUES AND CULEBRA AND FOR
THE EAST THROUGH SOUTH COASTS OF PUERTO RICO...FROM FAJARDO SOUTH
AND WEST THROUGH SALINAS.

A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ST CROIX...ST THOMAS...ST JOHN
AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS...FOR VIEQUES AND CULEBRA...AND FOR THE
NORTH...EAST AND SOUTH COASTS OF PUERTO RICO.

A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF PUERTO RICO.

SMALL CRAFT IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

SMALL CRAFT IN PUERTO RICO...INCLUDING VIEQUES AND CULEBRA SHOULD
REMAIN IN PORT.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL LOCAL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN VIGILANT
AND KEEP UPDATED ON THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS AS TROPICAL STORM
JEANNE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA PRONE TO
COASTAL...FLASH OR RIVER FLOODING...YOU SHOULD MOVE NOW TO HIGHER
GROUND AND THEN REMAIN INSIDE A SAFE DWELLING. IF YOU ARE ALREADY
INSIDE A SAFE AND STURDY SHELTER...YOU SHOULD REMAIN THERE UNTIL THE
STORM HAS MOVED WELL PAST THE LOCAL ISLANDS.

ALL SCHOOLS IN ST CROIX...ST THOMAS...ST JOHN AND THE ADJACENT
ISLANDS ARE CLOSED TODAY.

ALL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN ST CROIX HAVE BEEN EXCUSED FROM WORK
TODAY.

ALL SCHOOLS IN PUERTO RICO ARE CLOSED TODAY.

ALL COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES OF PUERTO RICO HAVE BEEN
EXCUSED FROM WORK TODAY.

...STORM UPDATE...
AT 8 AM AST...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM JEANNE WAS ESTIMATED NEAR
LATITUDE 17.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 65.4 WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST
OF VIEQUES...55 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF CULEBRA...80 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF PONCE...45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF ST CROIX AND 70
MILES SOUTHWEST OF ST THOMAS.

JEANNE WAS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND WOULD BRING
THE CENTER NEAR PUERTO RICO THIS AFTERNOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. STRONGER WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN GUSTS...ARE LIKELY OVER
ELEVATED TERRAIN. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS...AND JEANNE COULD BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE PASSING OVER
PUERTO RICO THIS AFTERNOON.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE
CENTER.

...SPOTTER REPORTS...
A WEATHER REPORT FROM MARIA HILL IN ST CROIX REPORTED A GUST TO 96
MPH AT 7:58 AM.

...WIND IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE LATEST OFFICIAL TRACK...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM
JEANNE WILL CONTINUE PASSING SOUTH OF VIEQUES THROUGH 1000 AM...THEN
ENTER THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF PUERTO RICO NEAR GUAYAMA AROUND NOON...
AND CONTINUE WEST-NORTHWEST AND EXIT PUERTO RICO NEAR AGUADILLA LATE
THIS AFTERNOON. YOU ARE URGED NOT TO FOLLOW THE EXACT CENTER OF THE
STORM AS JEANNE IS NOT A POINT AND ITS EFFECTS WILL EXTEND OUT OVER
50 MILES FROM ITS CENTER.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO HURRICANE
FORCE ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS ST CROIX THROUGH AT LEAST 11
AM THIS MORNING BEFORE JEANNE MOVES FAR ENOUGH AWAY TO LESSEN ITS
EFFECT OVER THE ISLAND.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS ST
THOMAS...ST JOHN AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS THROUGH MOST OF THIS
MORNING. HOWEVER...WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST IN SQUALLS AND
THUNDERSTORMS AND ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.

WINDS HAVE ALREADY INCREASED TO TROPICAL FORCE STRENGTH...40 TO 50
MPH...ACROSS VIEQUES AND CULEBRA AND THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SECTIONS
OF PUERTO RICO THIS MORNING AND SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 MPH OR HIGHER
WILL REACH THESE AREAS BY AROUND 10 AM. THESE TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS WILL THEN CONTINUE GRADUALLY SPREADING WEST NORTHWEST ACROSS
THE REMAINDER OF PUERTO RICO DURING THIS MORNING AND THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON. GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE WILL BE DEVELOPING ACROSS PUERTO
RICO...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...AND IN SQUALLS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH
ACROSS THE EAST HALF OF PUERTO RICO LATER THIS EVENING AND THE REST
OF PUERTO RICO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
COASTAL SEAS...SURF...AND TIDES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS ALL
OF THE LOCAL COASTAL WATERS AND PASSAGES TODAY...WITH SEAS LIKELY
REACHING 8 TO 12 FEET OR HIGHER AS JEANNE PASSES. BUILDING SURF AND
TIDES OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL WILL AFFECT PUERTO RICO AND THE
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS TODAY. IN ADDITION...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1
TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS
BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE
CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

ALL LOCAL MARINERS ARE REMINDED TO BE SMART...FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED
ONES...NEVER ATTEMPT TO RIDE OUT A TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE
ABOARD YOUR VESSEL!

...RIP CURRENTS...
STRONG RIP CURRENTS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND
WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS THE NORTH...EAST...SOUTHEAST AND
SOUTH COASTS OF PUERTO RICO...CULEBRA AND VIEQUES THROUGH TONIGHT
DUE TO BUILDING WAVE ACTION AND STRONG STORM FORCE WINDS. PERSONS
SHOULD NOT GO INTO THE WATER DURING THE PASSAGE OF JEANNE.

...RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL...
BANDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...VIEQUES AND CULEBRA AND THE EASTERN HALF OF
PUERTO RICO...AND WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE REST OF PUERTO
RICO THROUGH THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON. THESE BANDS WILL
CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND MORE INTENSE...AS THEY SHIFT
WEST NORTHWEST.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...VIEQUES AND CULEBRA AND MOST OF PUERTO RICO
THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS PROBABLE. THE
DEVELOPING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING AND
EVENTUALLY RIVER FLOODING...AS THE TROPICAL STORM CONTINUES MOVING
ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA. IN ADDITION...DANGEROUS MUDSLIDES ARE LIKELY
TO DEVELOP OVER AREAS OF STEEP TERRAIN.

THE FLASH FLOODING POTENTIAL ACROSS ST CROIX...ST THOMAS...ST JOHN
AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS...CULEBRA...VIEQUES AND ALL OF PUERTO RICO
IS SIGNIFICANT. THIS IS A SLOW MOVING SYSTEM WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...SIMILAR TO HURRICANE HORTENSE IN
1996...WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED AREAS RECEIVING 15 TO 20 INCHES
OR MORE.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TROPICAL STORM JEANNE CAN BE FOUND IN THE
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER TROPICAL CYCLONE PRODUCTS AND TROPICAL
CYCLONE MARINE ADVISORIES.

...OR VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN
ISLANDS WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT (ALL LOWERCASE LETTERS).

        HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJU

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO WILL BE ISSUED
AROUND 1230 PM.

SEELEY

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