[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 251719
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-252000-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
120 PM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004

...VOLUNTARY EVACUATION OF MOBILE HOMES RECOMMENDED FOR THE MIDDLE
AND UPPER KEYS BEGINNING AT 300 PM...
...HURRICANE JEANNE CURRENTLY BATTERING THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND
AIMING FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
UPDATED FOR VOLUNTARY EVACUATION AND PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM
OCEAN REEF TO THE WEST END OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...INCLUDING THE
ADJACENT ATLANTIC WATERS AND FLORIDA BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH
MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 100 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JEANNE WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.9 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 190 MILES
NORTHEAST OF KEY LARGO...AND ABOUT 135 MILES EAST OF WEST PALM
BEACH. JEANNE IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
OF 115 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
POSSIBLE BEFORE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL LATE TONIGHT. JEANNE IS
MOVING A LITTLE NORTH OF DUE WEST NEAR 14 MPH. ON THIS TRACK...THE
CORE OF JEANNE WILL REMAIN OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS TODAY...AND
REACH THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY...WITH
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS SPREADING INLAND OVER MUCH OF THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS MEASURED AT 955 MB...OR
28.20 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL RECOMMEND A VOLUNTARY
EVACUATION FOR ALL MOBILE HOMES BETWEEN THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO THE
MONROE DADE COUNTY LINE...BEGINNING AT 300 PM TODAY. ALSO AT
300 PM...EMERGENCY SHELTERS WILL BE OPEN IN THE UPPER KEYS...AT THE
KEY LARGO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...AND IN THE MIDDLE KEYS...AT THE
STANLEY SWITLIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE ARE NO MANDATORY EVACUATION
ORDERS IN EFFECT FOR THE KEYS AT THIS TIME.  MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT CONTINUES TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF HURRICANE JEANNE.
ONCE AGAIN...THE SHELTERS AT KEY LARGO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN KEY
LARGO...AND STANLEY SWITLIK SCHOOL IN MARATHON...WILL BE OPEN
BEGINNING AT 300 PM.

...WIND IMPACTS...
NORTHWEST WINDS NEAR 20 TO 25 MPH WITH BRIEFLY HIGHER GUSTS WILL
PREVAIL OVER THE ISLANDS IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS THIS
AFTERNOON. WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL OCCUR TONIGHT INTO
SUNDAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN GUSTS.
TRAVEL FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED BEGINNING
THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH TONIGHT...AND INTO MOST OF
SUNDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT WITHIN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. IN THE
ATLANTIC WATERS OFF THE UPPER AND MIDDLE KEYS THIS AFTERNOON...WINDS
WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 30 KNOTS AND GUSTY. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 6 TO 8
FEET OUTSIDE THE REEF...AND 2 TO 3 FEET INSIDE THE REEF. FLORIDA BAY
AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL BE VERY ROUGH. FOR TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY...WINDS OF 30 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE
GUSTS. SEAS WILL BE 8 TO 11 FEET OUTSIDE THE REEF...AND 2 TO 4 FEET
INSIDE THE REEF. FLORIDA BAY AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL BE EXTREMELY
ROUGH.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE CURRENTLY MEASURED JUST SHY OF ONE FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ON
THE BAYSIDE OF MARATHON. WATER LEVELS UP TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDES ARE POSSIBLE IN EASTERN FLORIDA BAY ON SUNDAY MORNING...
ESPECIALLY AROUND JEWFISH CREEK. OTHERWISE...NO SIGNIFICANT STORM
SURGE IS EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WITH THE PASSAGE OF HURRICANE
JEANNE. UPCOMING HIGH TIDES AT VACA CUT WILL OCCUR AT 8:03 THIS
EVENING...AND 7:49 SUNDAY MORNING.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE JEANNE
IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 330 PM EDT.

$$

RIZZO












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