[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 251942
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-252200-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
345 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...KATRINA HAS INTENSIFIED TO HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT MOVES TOWARD
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA...

...NEW INFORMATION...
A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...
MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES FROM 2 PM FRIDAY
UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN THE CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST OF CHARLOTTE AND
LEE COUNTIES.  AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT ELSEWHERE
IN CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 3 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST...ABOUT 35 MILES EAST
NORTHEAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE OR ABOUT 140 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST
OF FORT MYERS. KATRINA WAS MOVING WEST NEAR 6 MPH.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD IMPACTS...
DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS IN THE FLOOD WATCH AREA. FOR TODAY...SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE.
THESE WILL BE MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTHWESTWARD ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTER
RAIN BANDS OF KATRINA...AND WILL PROVIDE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS. SIMILAR
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WITH
STEADIER RAINS EXPECTED AS THE CENTER MOVES OFF THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
COAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

HEAVIEST RAINS WILL FALL FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE
DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE ON THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE STORM
ROTATES THROUGH. ANY STATIONARY BANDS THAT SET UP COULD DROP VERY
HEAVY RAINS IN JUST A FEW HOURS.

CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
WILL FALL THROUGH SUNSET THIS EVENING. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL BETWEEN
FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME FRESHWATER FLOODING...INCLUDING SHEET
FLOW...OVER THE WEEKEND AS WELL.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 15 TO
25 MPH THIS EVENING...THEN BECOME EAST TO SOUTHEAST AND REACH 20 TO
35 MPH FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY AS THE MORE ACTIVE
CONVECTION MOVES ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ALONG WITH AND AFTER THE
CENTER OF THE SYSTEM PASSES.  PEAK GUSTS OF 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN
STRONGER FEEDER BAND STORMS ON FRIDAY...AND THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR
MORE FREQUENT GUSTS INTO SATURDAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE RIGHT FRONT
QUADRANT OF KATRINA FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...
INCREASING THE THREAT FOR QUICKLY DEVELOPING TORNADOES.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM SURGE IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS WINDS WILL
REMAIN PREDOMINANTLY OFFSHORE.  HOWEVER...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR
A QUICK RISE IN TIDAL LEVELS SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS WINDS
SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AND CONTINUE AT 20 TO 25 MPH OR MORE.  THIS COULD
PILE WATER ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORELINES...INCLUDING THE BARRIER
ISLANDS AS WELL AS IN CHARLOTTE HARBOR.  TIDES MAY RUN 1 TO 3 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL DURING THIS TIME...CAUSING OVERWASH.

SHOULD KATRINA SLOW DOWN AND STRENGTHEN MORE QUICKLY AFTER EMERGING
IN THE GULF...A STORM SURGE COULD DEVELOP ALONG THE SUNCOAST LATER
IN THE WEEKEND.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT MAY NEED TO REMAIN IN PORT BY FRIDAY EVENING AS
SUSTAINED WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS APPROACH GALE FORCE.  WINDS
OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS OR GREATER MAY CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY EVENING AS
KATRINA REDEVELOPS IN THE EASTERN GULF.  SEAS WILL BUILD UP TO 8 FEET
OFFSHORE BY FRIDAY EVENING...AND PERHAPS AS HIGH AS 12 FEET FRIDAY
NIGHT IN SOME SPOTS.


...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 530 AND 600 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

$$

RKR/RD

This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net