[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMFL 250935
HLSMFL
AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-251600-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
535 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...TROPICAL STORM KATRINA CONTINUES MOVING TOWARD SOUTH FLORIDA...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE..
TROPICAL STORM WATCH ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST
STORM TIDE INFORMATION DETAILED AND UPDATED
WIND INFORMATION DETAILED AND UPDATED
PRECAUTIONS UPDATED
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INFORMATION EXPANDED AND UPDATED

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR PERSONS IN MIAMI-DADE...
BROWARD...PALM BEACH...COLLIER...HENDRY...GLADES AND MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AT 5 AM EDT...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL METROPOLITAN
PALM BEACH...BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES...THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...
BISCAYNE BAY AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR METROPOLITAN PALM
BEACH...BROWARD...AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
INLAND AREAS OF SOUTH FLORIDA INCLUDING GLADES...HENDRY...WESTERN PALM BEACH...
WESTERN BROWARD...AND WESTERN MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
INCLUDING COLLIER AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST
FROM BONITA BEACH SOUTHWARD TO OCEAN REEF INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY AND THE
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COASTAL WATERS.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA BEGINNING THIS MORNING AT
8 AM EDT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 AM EDT...TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR 26.2 NORTH...
LONGITUDE 78.7 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES EAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE. KATRINA IS MOVING
TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. THIS MOTION WILL BRING
THE CENTER OF THE STORM ACROSS THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS TOWARD THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 50 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND KATRINA
COULD REACH HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE MOVING ONSHORE THE SOUTHEAST COAST LATE
TONIGHT OR EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED TODAY AND FRIDAY ACROSS BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES...
AND WILL CLOSE EARLY TODAY AND BE CLOSED FRIDAY IN PALM BEACH COUNTY. PALM BEACH
COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE ISSUED AN EVACUATION ORDER FOR THE BARRIER ISLANDS AND
MOBILE HOMES SOUTH OF LANTANA ROAD. SHELTERS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY WILL OPEN AT 1
PM TODAY. IN BROWARD COUNTY...PERSONS LIVING EAST OF THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY
OR IN MOBILE HOMES WERE URGED TO EVACUATE...AND SOME SHELTERS WILL BE OPEN AT
2 PM.

BOAT OWNERS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION ANY ACTION TO SECURE BOATS FROM WIND
AND RAIN...REMEMBERING TO ALLOW EXTRA LINE FOR THE 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL STORM TIDE.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AT THIS TIME...MAXIMUM STORM TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...ARE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE
NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. WITH THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK AND
TIMING...THE COASTLINE FROM FORT LAUDERDALE NORTH TO WEST PALM BEACH INCLUDING
THE BARRIER ISLANDS AND BEACHES CAN EXPECT THE MAXIMUM STORM TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO
6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL MOST LIKELY NEAR THE HIGH TIDE BETWEEN 1 AND 2
AM FRIDAY. SOME ROADS MAY BE UNDERWATER DUE TO STORM TIDE THURSDAY
NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...IF THE STORM INTENSIFIES MORE THAN
FORECAST...HIGHER STORM TIDE LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE.

ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE...A PERSISTENT STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WIND WILL BLOW WATER AWAY
FROM THE NORTHEASTERN SHORE AND PILE WATER UP ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN SHORE AND
IN THE MOUTH OF FISHEATING CREEK. MAXIMUM STORM TIDE LEVELS ON THE SOUTHWEST
SIDE OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE COULD BE FROM 17 TO 18 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL...WHILE
ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE LAKE THE LEVEL COULD DROP TO 13 TO 14 FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL. AS KATRINA MOVES INLAND...THE WIND WILL VEER TO THE EAST...WHICH
WOULD INCREASE THE PILING OF WATER INTO THE MOUTH OF FISHEATING CREEK. THIS
SCENARIO WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF KATRINA MOVES FARTHER NORTH THAN CURRENTLY
FORECAST.

WHILE KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO BE SOMEWHAT WEAKER AFTER MOVING ACROSS THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA FRIDAY...THE WIND FLOW IS EXPECTED TO BE ONSHORE IN COLLIER AND
MAINLAND MONROE COUNTIES AND A MAXIMUM STORM TIDE OF 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA
LEVEL IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE COLLIER BEACHES AROUND THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE ON
FRIDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
FREQUENT WIND GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE...39 TO 73 MPH...CAN BE
EXPECTED IN SQUALLS AFFECTING THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST TODAY. SUSTAINED
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE BEACHES OF SOUTHEAST
FLORIDA MAINLY FROM WEST PALM BEACH SOUTH TO MIAMI...BY MID AFTERNOON
TODAY. WINDS MAY BRIEFLY REACH HURRICANE FORCE...GREATER THAN 73 MPH...NEAR THE
CENTER JUST BEFORE LANDFALL TONIGHT. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
SHOULD LAST INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY. THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE
EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE AND CAN POSSIBLY DOWN POWER LINES AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS
ACROSS THE METRO AREAS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA.

...PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THE CHANCES OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ALONG THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST
RANGE FROM 57 TO 66 PERCENT. THE CHANCES OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ALONG THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST RANGE FROM 7 TO 9 PERCENT.

THE CHANCES OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF
COAST RANGE ARE ABOUT 50 PERCENT...AND THE CHANCES OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST ARE ONLY ABOUT 4 PERCENT.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
ALL MARINERS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION PREPARATIONS TO SECURE BOATS AND
OTHER MARINE CRAFT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE ALREADY MOVING INTO THE
ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS AT 31 MPH
GUSTING TO 39 MPH REPORTED AT SETTLEMENT POINT ON GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND AT 4 AM
EDT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL MOVE ACROSS ALL OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL
WATERS DURING THE DAY TODAY. SEAS WILL BUILD RAPIDLY TODAY AS THE CIRCULATION
AROUND KATRINA OPPOSES THE NORTH FLOWING GULF STREAM. INCREASING WAVES ALONG THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BEACHES WILL MEAN A HIGHER CHANCE OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS
TODAY.

ON THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST...MARINERS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION ACTIONS
TO PROTECT MARINE CRAFT. FREQUENT GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WITH SQUALLS
WILL BE AFFECTING THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST FROM CAPE SABLE NORTHWARD
FRIDAY MORNING LASTING INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS
EVENING LASTING ALL DAY FRIDAY AND FINALLY DIMINISHING FRIDAY NIGHT. THE
STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE SOUTH SHORE...ESPECIALLY FROM MOORE
HAVEN AROUND TO CLEWISTON AND LAKE HARBOR AND BELLE GLADE.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE VERY SLOW MOVEMENT OF KATRINA MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT
TIME FOR VERY HEAVY...PROBABLY FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS ACROSS SOUTH
FLORIDA. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN ARE
EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA...WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS TO 15 TO 20
INCHES. EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR SLOW MOVING STORMS WERE IRENE IN 1999 AND
THE DISTURBANCE OF OCTOBER 2 2000 WHICH PRODUCED LOCALIZED RAINFALL
TOTALS OF 15 TO 20 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND CAUSED
WIDESPREAD FLOODING THAT LASTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WHILE THERE IS STILL MUCH
UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS SYSTEM...SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE
FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.

...LOCAL TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADOES IN THE OUTER
RAINBANDS TODAY AND CONTINUING FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY SATURDAY...MAINLY
TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE MIAMI WEATHER FORECAST
OFFICE AROUND 11 AM TODAY.

FOR A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THIS LOCAL STATEMENT...PLEASE GO TO
OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.MIAMIWEATHER.INFO AND CLICK ON THE GRAPHICAL
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT ICON.

$$

PFOST
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