[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMLB 251529
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
252200-

TROPICAL STORM KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1128 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...TROPICAL STORM KATRINA HEADING WESTWARD AND FORECAST TO
BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM
VERO BEACH SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF VERO BEACH TO TITUSVILLE...INCLUDING
ALL OF MERRITT ISLAND. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT
FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY WITH AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH IN
EFFECT FOR OSCEOLA COUNTY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF
MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...INDIAN RIVER...BREVARD...OKEECHOBEE AND
OSCEOLA COUNTIES FOR TROPICAL STORM KATRINA. THIS STATEMENT ALSO
RECOMMENDS THAT ORANGE...SEMINOLE...LAKE...AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES
KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST THREAT SITUATION ASSOCIATED WITH
KATRINA GIVEN THE CURRENT FORECAST UNCERTAINTY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES EAST
OF FT. LAUDERDALE FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 6 MPH AND THIS MOTION MAY
SLOW BEFORE THE CENTER PUSHES ASHORE THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST
LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS...BUT
KATRINA MAY REACH CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE LANDFALL.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS...SUSTAINED WINDS
ABOVE 73 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. CONSEQUENTLY...
STORM PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THIS MORNING. EVACUATIONS
...AS NECESSARY...SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTION OF
LOCAL OFFICIALS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
SUSTAINED WINDS FROM 39 TO 73 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 36 HOURS. RESIDENTS IN THE
TROPICAL STORM WATCH AND WARNING AREAS SHOULD REVIEW THEIR ACTION
PLAN...AND STAY ON TOP OF THIS STORM THREAT SITUATION.

...WIND IMPACTS...
KATRINA IS FORECAST TO BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL
ALONG THE LOWER SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST. HOWEVER...DUE TO THE
UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST TRACK...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN
EFFECT AS FAR NORTH AS VERO BEACH. IMPORTANTLY...THE LATEST
PROJECTION FOR TROPICAL STORM KATRINA BRINGS TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS INTO MARTIN COUNTY THIS EVENING AND SPREADING NORTH AND INLAND
INTO FRIDAY. GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG
THE IMMEDIATE COAST...AND IN PASSING SQUALLS IN MARTIN...SAINT
LUCIE...AND INDIAN RIVER COUNTIES. THESE WINDS COULD DAMAGE
AWNINGS...BLOW DOWN TREES OR LARGE LIMBS CAUSING POWER OUTAGES. GUSTY
ONSHORE WINDS...REACHING 30 TO 40 MPH IN HEAVY SHOWERS...WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE ALONG MUCH OF THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST...ESPECIALLY
FROM CAPE CANAVERAL SOUTHWARD.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
BASED ON CURRENT FORECAST TRACK AND INTENSITY...STORM SURGE VALUES OF
3 TO 5 FEET ARE POSSIBLE NEAR AND JUST NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER
MAKES LANDFALL. BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST...HOWEVER...THE STORM
SURGE FOR MARTIN COUNTY IS EXPECTED TO BE 2 TO 3 FEET...DECREASING TO
2 FEET OR LESS FROM VERO BEACH NORTHWARD. LARGE SURF...STRONG RIP
CURRENTS...AND SOME BEACH EROSION WILL LIKELY IMPACT THE ENTIRE EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
DUE TO THE SLOW FORWARD MOTION OF KATRINA...HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS SYSTEM. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE CORE OF THE STORM...WITH
A MODERATE FLOOD THREAT ACROSS MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...AND OKEECHOBEE
COUNTIES.

IF KATRINA MOVES FURTHER NORTH OR SLOWER THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST...
HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE POSSIBLE AND IMPACTS FROM FLOODING
RAINS COULD AFFECT AREAS FARTHER NORTHWARD TOWARDS ORLANDO AND CAPE
CANAVERAL. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME NUMEROUS TODAY WITH
BANDS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLS POSSIBLE WELL INTO FRIDAY. PERSONS IN
HIGHLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE URGED TO HAVE A PLAN TO PROTECT PROPERTY
FROM RISING WATERS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS THIS AFTERNOON
INTO FRIDAY. THE THREAT AREA IS MAINLY CONFINED TO THE IMMEDIATE
COAST SOUTH OF VERO BEACH...AND IN VICINITY OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE.
ELSEWHERE...A LOW TO VERY LOW THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES EXISTS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 KNOTS CAN BE EXPECTED IN NUMEROUS SQUALLS FROM
ABOUT CAPE CANAVERAL SOUTHWARD.  SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS SHOULD AFFECT THE WATERS FROM VERO BEACH SOUTHWARD...WITH
GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN SQUALLS.  STEEP AND
VERY HAZARDOUS WAVES NEAR 20 FEET ARE POSSIBLE IN THE GULF STREAM...
ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF SEBASTIAN INLET.  SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN
PORT.

ALSO...BATTERING WAVES WILL CAUSE DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS AND
STRONG RIP CURRENTS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WILL BE ISSUED
AROUND 6 PM...OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION IF THIS STATEMENT...GO TO THE NWS MELBOURNE
WEB PAGE AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MLB.

$$

LASCODY
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