[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 260315
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-260530-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1115 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING SOUTHWEST OVER INLAND MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS AND FLORIDA
BAY...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL SATURDAY
MORNING...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED WATCHES AND WARNINGS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
MARINE IMPACTS.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS AND
FLORIDA BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS...INCLUDING WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE IN THE
WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. FOR THOSE PLANNING TO DRIVE NORTH FROM
THE KEYS...BE AWARE THAT A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM
FLORIDA CITY TO JUPITER INLET INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE...AND A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE GULF COAST FROM
FLORIDA CITY AROUND TO LONGBOAT KEY. A FLOOD WATCH HAS NOW BEEN
ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY NIGHT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 35 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MIAMI. THIS IS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF KEY LARGO...
AND SOME 95 MILES NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE
NEAR 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING SOUTHWEST NEAR 8
MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS...WITH KATRINA MOVING OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO FRIDAY
MORNING. KATRINA IS STILL A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE. SOME WEAKENING
OF THE MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR THE CENTER IS EXPECTED WHILE KATRINA IS
OVER LAND. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 984 MB...OR
29.06 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED FRIDAY. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES
WILL REMAIN OPEN FRIDAY. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS NOT
ISSUED ANY EVACUATION ORDERS AND NO SHELTERS WILL OPEN. NO TOLLS
WILL BE COLLECTED ON THE CARD SOUND ROAD BRIDGE THROUGH 500 AM
FRIDAY. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF
KATRINA AND LISTEN FOR ANY BULLETINS FROM OFFICIAL MONROE COUNTY
SOURCES. VISITORS ENJOYING FLORIDA KEYS LODGING SHOULD CHECK WITH
THEIR FRONT DESK FOR ANY OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MONROE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OFFICIALS
EXPECT FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR AIRLINES SERVING
KEY WEST TO MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AND FORT LAUDERDALE/HOLLYWOOD
AIRPORTS. PASSENGERS WITH RESERVATIONS SHOULD CHECK WITH AIRLINES
PRIOR TO GOING TO AIRPORTS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...INCLUDING WINDS RANGING BETWEEN 39 MPH
AND 73 MPH...ARE EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.
RESIDENTS SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS WHICH COULD BE BLOWN ABOUT IN
STRONG WINDS. THROUGH 100 AM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 65 MPH...ON THE
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST EDGE OF KATRINA'S CORE...WILL AFFECT THE UPPER
KEYS. WEST TO SOUTHWEST WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL AFFECT
PORTIONS OF THE MIDDLE KEYS...AND LOCALLY IN THE LOWER KEYS DURING
PASSING SQUALLS. DRIVING IS DISCOURAGED.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS TONIGHT THROUGH
PROBABLY SUNDAY. A GENERAL WEST WIND DIRECTION TONIGHT WILL SEE
SPEEDS OF 30 KNOTS OR MORE OVER MOST KEYS WATERS...WITH GUSTS OF 40
KNOTS OR MORE. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST NEAR OR OVER
TROPICAL STORM FORCE FRIDAY. SEAS WILL REACH 7 FEET OR HIGHER IN
OPEN WATERS...WHILE BAY AND NEARSHORE WATERS BECOME VERY ROUGH.
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
NO SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. TIDES
MAY RUN 1 TO 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL...WITH POSSIBLE MINOR
NUISANCE FLOODING OF DOCKS AND LOW COASTAL STREETS...ALONG THE
BAYSIDE OF NORTH KEY LARGO AND JEWFISH CREEK LATE TONIGHT INTO
FRIDAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TONIGHT
CONTINUING UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. HIGHER TOTAL RAINFALL IS
NOW EXPECTED OVER THE KEYS...WITH RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10
INCHES POSSIBLE DURING THE PERIOD TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...AS
MULTIPLE PASSING RAIN BANDS WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS SWEEP OVER THE
KEYS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 130 AM EDT...OR WHEN NEW
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK
OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEY WEST.

$$

RIZZO/BROCK




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