[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMLB 250610
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
251015-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
210 AM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004

...HURRICANE JEANNE STRENGTHENING AND MOVING A LITTLE FASTER...
...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM FLORIDA CITY TO SAINT
AUGUSTINE WHICH INCLUDES ALL OF THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST...
...AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR ALL
INTERIOR COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...
...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE...
...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...

...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 WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FLORIDA CITY TO SAINT
AUGUSTINE...WHICH INCLUDES ALL OF THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COASTAL
COUNTIES FROM MARTIN TO VOLUSIA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY FOR THESE LOCATIONS IN THE NEXT 24
HOURS. THE HURRICANE WARNING INCLUDES LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR ALL
INTERIOR COUNTIES...INCLUDING LAKE...SEMINOLE...ORANGE...OSCEOLA...
AND OKEECHOBEE. THIS MEANS THAT HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE
OVER THE INTERIOR COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

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

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT...THE LARGE EYE OF HURRICANE JEANNE WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.6 WEST OR ABOUT 270 MILES EAST
OF THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST.

JEANNE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. THE CORE OF
JEANNE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS LATER TODAY...AND THEN
TAKE AIM ON FLORIDAS EAST COAST TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED A LITTLE AND ARE NOW NEAR 105
MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST
TODAY WITH THE CHANCE FOR JEANNE TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BEFORE
FLORIDA LANDFALL.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALTHOUGH THIS HAS BEEN AN EXHAUSTING HURRICANE SEASON WITH MANY
AREAS HAVING ALREADY EXPERIENCED CONSIDERABLE PROPERTY DAMAGE...
RESIDENTS WILL NEED TO AVOID COMPLACENCY! THERE IS STILL A
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE PREPAREDNESS TASKS DURING MUCH
OF SATURDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. IMPORTANTLY...PREPAREDNESS WORK
SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE ONSET OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS OR DRIVING SATURDAY...BE ESPECIALLY WATCHFUL OF
PASSING RAIN SQUALLS. THEY WILL CONTAIN THE FIRST STRONG WINDS OF
JEANNE. MOTORISTS DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD USE EXTRA
CAUTION. THOSE PERFORMING OTHER WIND SENSITIVE TASKS...SUCH AS
BOARDING UP WINDOWS OR SECURING PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED ROOFS...SHOULD
KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY WHILE WORKING. STAY INFORMED OF THE LATEST
FORECASTS AND WEATHER THREATS...AND BE DILIGENT TO IMPLEMENT YOUR
HURRICANE PLAN OF ACTION. 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. BE
A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND HELP OTHERS IN NEED WHEN POSSIBLE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
NOW THAT JEANNE IS MOVING A LITTLE FASTER...THE WIND THREAT FOR
JEANNE WILL ARRIVE A BIT SOONER THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. THE
WIND THREAT IS EXTREME...ESPECIALLY FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES. IT
IS POSSIBLE FOR JEANNE TO STRENGTHEN TO A MAJOR CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE WITH 115 MPH WINDS...AS IT APPROACHES THE EAST CENTRAL
FLORIDA COAST. PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS SHOULD BE WELL
UNDER WAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST STARTING
EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON OVER MARTIN AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTIES...AND
THEN SPREAD NORTH ALONG THE COAST AND WEST INTO THE INTERIOR.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO REACH THE COAST OVER MARTIN AND
SAINT LUCIE COUNTIES IN THE EVENING SATURDAY.

DAMAGE FROM RECENT HURRICANES CHARLEY AND FRANCES ARE EXPECTED TO
COMPOUND THE WIND EFFECTS FROM JEANNE. HOMES...TREES...AND POWER
GRIDS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO DAMAGE IN THEIR WEAKENED STATE. POWER
OUTAGES MAY BE LONGER IN MANY AREAS THAN WHAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY
EXPERIENCED. DEBRIS THAT HAS YET TO BE REMOVED HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
CAUSE INJURY AND DAMAGE. IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...A HOME
WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE...OR IN A PLACE THAT OFFERS LITTLE PROTECTION
FROM HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...STRONGLY CONSIDER MOVING TO A SAFE
SHELTER.

...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 ANTICIPATE A STORM
SURGE OF 6 TO 8 FEET DEPENDING ON THE LOCAL TIDE DURING LANDFALL. THE
GREATEST SURGE WILL OCCUR FROM THE TIME OF LANDFALL THROUGH AROUND 6
AM SUNDAY MORNING WHEN LOCAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDES WILL BE RUNNING NEAR
4 FEET. THIS...PLUS THE STORM SURGE...COULD PRODUCE A BEACH FRONT
SURGE NEAR 10 FEET. THE STORM SURGE EFFECTS WILL BE COMPOUNDED BY THE
FACT THAT THE DUNES ARE IN A HIGHLY WEAKENED STATE. MANY BEACHFRONT
PROPERTIES HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND EROSION...
MAKING THEM VERY VULNERABLE TO FURTHER DAMAGE. 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. PROPERTIES AROUND INLETS AND ADJACENT CANALS WILL ALSO BE
VULNERABLE TO INUNDATION AS WATER BACKS UP...ESPECIALLY AROUND THE
TIMES OF HIGH TIDES.

...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.
THE WATER TABLE IS ALREADY HIGH ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA DUE TO
COPIOUS RAINFALL THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER...INCLUDING HURRICANES CHARLEY
AND FRANCES. MANY AREAS ALREADY HAVE STANDING WATER...AND IN SOME
CASES...PARTICULARLY ALONG THE SAINT JOHNS RIVER...PROPERTIES ARE
ALREADY UNDER WATER.

BETWEEN 6 AND 12 INCHES OF RAIN ARE FORECAST ALONG AND NEAR THE TRACK
OF THE CENTER OF JEANNE. THIS WILL AGGRAVATE PRE-EXISTING FLOODING
CONDITIONS...AND ADDITIONAL FLOODING IS HIGHLY LIKELY IN MANY AREAS.
BLOCKAGE OF STORM DRAINS...STREAMS...CANALS AND OTHER NATURAL AND
MAN MADE RETENTION AREAS MAY ALSO AGGRAVATE THE POTENTIAL FLOOD
THREAT AS THESE HAVE VERY LITTLE ROOM TO HANDLE ADDITIONAL RUNOFF.

THE SAINT JOHNS RIVER WHICH IS ALREADY IN FLOOD CAN EXPECT ADDITIONAL
RISES...WITH MAJOR FLOODING A POSSIBILITY.

...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...BUT IS LIKELY TO BE ONE OF THE
FIRST THREATS TO ARRIVE. PLEASE FACTOR THIS IN TO YOUR PREPARATION
PLANS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
THE MARINE IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH JEANNE WILL BE EXTREME. HIGH SEAS
AND STRONG WINDS ALREADY BUFFETING THE ATLANTIC WATERS WILL ONLY
GET WORSE AS JEAN APPROACHES. JEANNE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A
MAJOR HURRICANE OVER THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COASTAL WATERS. SEAS
MAY GROW TO OVER 20 FEET LATER TODAY 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.

PERSONS WHO MAY BE SECURING BOATS OR DOCKS ALONG THE INTRACOASTAL
WATERWAY SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS AS IF A CATEGORY THREE LANDFALLING
HURRICANE WAS APPROACHING THEIR AREA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 6 AM
SATURDAY MORNING...OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

$$

DWS

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