[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMLB 241139
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
241630-

HURRICANE JEANNE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
730 AM EDT FRI SEP 24 2004

...HURRICANE JEANNE TO APPROACH EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...
...HURRICANE WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM FLORIDA CITY TO SAINT
AUGUSTINE TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST...
...HURRICANE WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE...
...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL INLAND
COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...
...A FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA
COUNTIES...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN
BY RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...VOLUSIA...LAKE...SEMINOLE...
ORANGE...BREVARD...OSCEOLA...INDIAN RIVER...SAINT LUCIE...MARTIN
AND OKEECHOBEE.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM FLORIDA CITY TO SAINT
AUGUSTINE TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COASTAL
COUNTIES FROM MARTIN COUNTY TO VOLUSIA COUNTY. A HURRICANE WATCH
MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THESE LOCATIONS
IN THE NEXT 36 HOURS. THE HURRICANE WATCH AREA INCLUDES LAKE
OKEECHOBEE.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL INLAND
COUNTIES...TO INCLUDE LAKE...SEMINOLE...ORANGE...OSCEOLA...AND
OKEECHOBEE COUNTIES. THIS MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA IN THE NEXT 36 HOURS. RESIDENTS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REMAIN INFORMED SINCE THE EXACT TRACK AND INTENSITY OF
JEANNE IS STILL SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN. IT IS LIKELY THAT THIS WATCH
WILL BE UPDATED LATER TODAY AS BETTER ESTIMATES OF THE HURRICANE
FORCE WIND THREAT IS DETERMINED.

ALSO...A FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA
COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 340 MILES
EAST OF GREAT ABACO ISLAND IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. JEANNE IS MOVING
TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MPH WITH THIS MOTION EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
FOR AWHILE TODAY...WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT
24 HOURS. THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. A SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE AS JEANNE APPROACHES EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FOR THE RESIDENTS OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE
IN PUTTING UP YOUR GUARD. THIS HAS BEEN AN EXHAUSTING HURRICANE
SEASON WITH MANY FOLKS HAVING ALREADY EXPERIENCED CONSIDERABLE
PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PERSONAL STRESS. HOWEVER...HURRICANE JEANNE POSES
A REAL AND GREAT THREAT TO OUR COMMUNITIES. BE STRONG AND TAKE
PRECAUTION. HELP OTHERS IN NEED. STAY CALM.

RESIDENTS SHOULD FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS AS
PREPARATIONS MOVE INTO FULL SWING. NOW IS THE TIME TO REACTIVATE YOUR
FAMILY OR BUSINESS HURRICANE PLAN. CONSIDER YOUR VULNERABILITY TO
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...TO DEADLY STORM SURGE...TO FLOODING RAIN.
TAKE ALL REASONABLE AND NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND
PROPERTY. IMPORTANTLY...STAY INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECAST AND
THREAT SITUATION.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THE WIND THREAT FOR JEANNE IS EXTREME...ESPECIALLY FOR THE COASTAL
COUNTIES. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR JEANNE TO STRENGTHEN TO 115 MPH AS IT
MOVES THROUGH THE BAHAMAS AND TOWARD THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST.
THIS WOULD MAKE JEANNE A MAJOR HURRICANE WITH CATEGORY THREE FORCE
WINDS. OVER INLAND LOCATIONS...RESIDENTS SHOULD BEGIN PREPARATIONS
FOR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TOO AS THE WIND THREAT IS HIGH TO MODERATE.
INLAND WIND WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE UPDATED LATER TODAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST
BEGINNING SATURDAY AFTERNOON OVER MARTIN AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTIES...
AND THEN SPREAD NORTH AND WESTWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO REACH THE COAST OVER MARTIN
AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTIES IN THE LATE EVENING SATURDAY OR AROUND
MIDNIGHT SUNDAY.

DUE TO RECENT HURRICANES CHARLEY AND FRANCES...THE AREA IS IN A
CONDITION THAT IS VERY WIND SENSITIVE. MANY TREES HAVE BEEN
WEAKENED WITH SOME PREVIOUS DEBRIS STILL IN PILES FROM THESE
PREVIOUS HURRICANES. UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURES ARE NOT AS STURDY AS
NORMAL. ALSO...ROOFING MATERIALS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO
FAILURE. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT LOOSE OUTDOOR ITEMS...SUCH AS LEFT
OVER DEBRIS...CAN BECOME AIRBORNE PROJECTILES. IF YOU LIVE IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR A SEVERELY DAMAGED HOME...OR IN A PLACE THAT OFFERS
LITTLE PROTECTION FROM DAMAGING HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...PLEASE
CONSIDER MOVING TO A SAFE SHELTER. AGAIN...HEED THE WORDS OF YOUR
LOCAL OFFICIALS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE SURGE THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH JEANNE IS EXTREME NEAR AND TO THE
RIGHT OF THE LANDFALL LOCATION. RESIDENTS SHOULD INITIALLY EXPECT
SURGES OF 6 TO 12 FEET...BUT A MORE DETAILED FORECAST OF SURGE
POTENTIAL WILL BE MADE TODAY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT
JEANNE COULD BE A MAJOR HURRICANE WITH SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE
HEIGHTS. THE CONCERN IS COMPOUNDED SINCE THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN
CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE BEACHES AND DUNES DUE TO RECENT
HURRICANE FRANCES...AND FROM THE LARGE OCEAN SWELLS WHICH HAVE
CAUSED HIGH SURF AND BEACH EROSION. FINALLY...BATTERING WAVES WILL
BE ON TOP OF THE SURGE. INUNDATION OF THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL ZONE BY
SEA WATER IS POSSIBLE WITH SURGE AND WAVES BREACHING THE WEAKENED
DUNES. NEAR SHORE ROADWAYS AND STRUCTURES ARE AT RISK.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE FLOOD THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH JEANNE IS EXTREME. AS A RESULT...A
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COUNTIES.
FLOODING IS CERTAINLY EXPECTED IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE
LOCATIONS AS 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN ARE FORECAST ALONG THE TRACK OF
JEANNE. IMPORTANTLY...SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE SINCE THE
GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED FROM ALL OF THE RECENT HEAVY RAIN...
ESPECIALLY FROM FRANCES. THERE IS ALSO SOME REMAINING DEBRIS
WHICH MAY INHIBIT OR CLOG NATURAL OR MAN MADE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS.
ALSO...MOST STREAMS AND CANALS ARE ALREADY SWOLLEN WITH LITTLE ROOM
FOR ADDITIONAL RAIN RUNOFF. THE SAINT JOHNS RIVER WHICH IS ALREADY IN
FLOOD CAN EXPECT ADDITIONAL RISES.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE TORNADO THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH JEANNE IS MODERATE. AS WITH
ANY HURRICANE...THERE ALWAYS EXISTS THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES.
AT THIS TIME...THE MOST FAVORED LOCATION FOR TORNADOES MAY REMAIN
OFFSHORE...OR CONFINED TO THE IMMEDIATE COAST. THE TORNADO
POTENTIAL WILL BE MORE CLOSELY SCRUTINIZED FOR ATMOSPHERIC CLUES
THAT ENHANCE LOCAL UPDRAFT STRENGTHS. REMEMBER...THE TORNADO THREAT
IS OFTEN THE FIRST THREAT TO ARRIVE. PLEASE FACTOR THIS IN TO YOUR
PREPARATION PLANS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
JEANNE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE OVER THE EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA COASTAL WATERS. SEAS MAY GROW TO OVER 20 FEET INTO
SATURDAY WITH INTRACOASTAL WATERS BECOMING VERY ROUGH. WINDS MAY
REACH AS HIGH AS 100 KNOTS AS JEANNE APPROACHES THE COAST BETWEEN
FLAGLER BEACH AND JUPITER INLET.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY NOON...OR
SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

$$

DWS
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