[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMFL 241552
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>068-071-072-074-242200-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
NOON EDT FRI SEP 24 2004

...HURRICANE WATCH FOR PALM BEACH...BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE METRO
AREAS AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO PERSONS IN PALM BEACH...BROWARD...
MIAMI-DADE...GLADES...AND HENDRY COUNTIES OF SOUTH FLORIDA.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ATLANTIC COAST OF FLORIDA
FROM ST. AUGUSTINE SOUTH TO FLORIDA CITY. THIS INCLUDES METRO PALM
BEACH...BROWARD...AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES AS WELL AS THE CITIES OF
WEST PALM BEACH...FORT LAUDERDALE...AND MIAMI. A HURRICANE WATCH
MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS...SUSTAINED WINDS GREATER THAN 73
MPH...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS. WARNINGS MAY BE ISSUED FOR A
PORTION OF THE WATCH AREA LATER TODAY.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH
FLORIDA COUNTIES OF HENDRY...GLADES...INLAND PALM BEACH AND
INLAND BROWARD. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH MEANS THAT
TROPICAL STORM FORCE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A FLOOD WATCH WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR THE METRO ATLANTIC COAST
AND PORTIONS OF INTERIOR SOUTH FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JEANNE WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 72.4 WEST. THIS LOCATION IS ABOUT 480
MILES EAST OF PALM BEACH OR 480 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF MIAMI. JEANNE
IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH AND THAT MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 100 MILES AN HOUR WITH HIGHER
GUSTS MAKING JEANNE A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PALM BEACH COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS ASKED FOR A VOLUNTARY
EVACUATION FOR PERSONS IN ZONE A.

DURING A HURRICANE WATCH PERSONS SHOULD REVIEW THEIR HURRICANE PLAN
AND BE SURE TO RESTOCK HURRICANE SUPPLIES AND MAKE SURE THAT STORM
SHUTTERS ARE READY TO BE DEPLOYED. ANY SHUTTERS DAMAGED EARLIER THIS
YEAR SHOULD BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED BEFORE THE HURRICANE WARNING
PHASE. TRY TO CLEAR ANY DEBRIS FROM NEAR YOUR RESIDENCE. RESTOCK
BATTERIES...CANNED GOODS...BOTTLED WATER...AND MAKE SURE FLASHLIGHTS
ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. FILL UP CAR GAS TANKS NOW TO AVOID LONG
LINES LATER.

MARINERS MAY WISH TO TAKE EARLY PREPAREDNESS ACTION TO PROTECT BOATS.
THE WATCH PHASE IS A GOOD TIME TO MOVE BOATS OUT OF THE PATH OF THE
STORM IF POSSIBLE.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA AND THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION SHOULD
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL COMMERCIAL RADIO OR
TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON HURRICANE JEANNE.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
ASSUMING A DIRECT STRIKE FROM HURRICANE JEANNE AT HIGH TIDE...
MAXIMUM STORM TIDES OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL WOULD BE
POSSIBLE ALONG THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST OF PALM
BEACH...BROWARD...AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF
WHERE THE CENTER STRIKES THE COASTLINE. AT PRESENT...THE FORECAST
PATH OF HURRICANE JEANNE IS NORTH OF PALM BEACH COUNTY.

FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE...THE LAKE LEVEL THURSDAY WAS 15.81 FEET. NORTHEAST
WINDS AHEAD OF JEANNE SATURDAY WILL PUSH THE LAKE WATER FIRST TOWARD THE
SOUTH SIDE FROM FISHEATING CREEK TO MOORE HAVEN AND CLEWISTON ALL THE
WAY TO SOUTH BAY AND BELLE GLADE. INSIDE THE HOOVER DIKE...LAKE LEVELS
ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE WILL REACH AS HIGH AS 21 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL GIVEN THE FORECAST TRACK. WATER WOULD BE PUSHED AWAY FROM THE
NORTHWEST SIDE WHERE LEVELS COULD DROP AS LOW AS 10 FEET. ON SUNDAY...AS
THE WIND BACKS TO THE NORTHWEST AND FINALLY WEST LATE SUNDAY...WATER
WILL BE PUSHED TOWARD THE EAST SIDE FROM BELLE GLADE TO PAHOKEE AND PORT
MAYACA WHERE AGAIN LEVELS COULD REACH AS HIGH AS 20 FEET. THE HOOVER
DIKE PROTECTS INHABITED AREAS TO AT LEAST 30 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THE INITIAL BAND OF WEATHER AHEAD OF JEANNE WILL LIKELY OCCUR ALONG
THE SOUTHEAST COAST EARLY SATURDAY. LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON TROPICAL
STORM FORCE NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS...GREATER THAN 34 KNOTS...WOULD
BE SPREADING INTO COASTAL SECTIONS OF PALM BEACH...BROWARD AND
MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES. THE WIND IS EXPECTED TO BACK TO THE NORTHWEST
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL BE
POSSIBLE ALONG THE PALM BEACH COUNTY COASTLINE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THE WINDS WILL BE DIMINISHING SLOWLY DURING
THE DAY SUNDAY.

OVER INLAND AREAS OF PALM BEACH...BROWARD...GLADES...AND HENDRY
COUNTIES WINDS WILL BE GUSTING FREQUENTLY TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE
BEGINNING SATURDAY EVENING...WITH SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
LASTING FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THE WINDS WILL
SLOWLY DIMINISH DURING THE DAY SUNDAY.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...SEAS WILL STEADILY INCREASE
ACROSS THE SOUTH FLORIDA ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY WITH WINDS REACHING TROPICAL STORM FORCE SATURDAY
AFTERNOON. SEAS WILL BE MUCH HIGHER IN THE GULF STREAM SATURDAY AND
SATURDAY NIGHT. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE FURTHER LASTING WELL
INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. MARINE CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO
IMPROVE SUNDAY NIGHT. MARINERS ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST AND ON LAKE
OKEECHOBEE SHOULD MAKE PLANS TO SECURE THEIR BOATS IN SAFE HARBOR
ALLOWING EXTRA LINE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF STORM SURGE LEVELS OR DRY
DOCK. THERE IS STILL UNCERTAINTY WITH THE EXACT FORECAST TRACK OF
JEANNE...AND SHOULD THE TRACK BE SHIFTED FARTHER SOUTH THE MARINE
IMPACT WOULD BE MUCH WORSE THAN DESCRIBED.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
SQUALLS WILL BEGIN TO MOVE ASHORE ALONG THE METRO ATLANTIC COAST DURING
THE DAY SATURDAY AND THEN INCREASE IN FREQUENCY AND DURATION SATURDAY
EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL LIKELY
OCCUR LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. FORECAST STORM TOTAL
RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH MONDAY ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA ARE EXPECTED TO
BE FROM 4 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS METRO PALM BEACH COUNTY WITH LOCAL
AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS 10 INCHES POSSIBLE CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF
HURRICANE JEANNE. ACROSS METRO BROWARD AND DADE COUNTIES AS WELL AS
THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION...TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH MONDAY
ARE EXPECTED TO BE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS 6
INCHES. BANDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTH
FLORIDA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY EVEN AFTER THE HURRICANE IS WELL
NORTH OF THE AREA.

...LOCAL TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE WILL BE SOME THREAT OF TORNADOES IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF
JEANNE ESPECIALLY AS THE STORM APPROACHES THE COASTLINE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED HURRICANE JEANNE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL
BE ISSUED AROUND 6 PM TODAY.

$$

LUSHINE



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