[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 260341
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-260600-

HURRICANE (INSERT STORM NAME) LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1141 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA MOVES SOUTHWEST THROUGH SOUTHERN FLORIDA...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN
LEE COUNTY NORTH TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY...
...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY IN
MANATEE COUNTY NORTH TO ANCLOTE KEY IN PINELLAS COUNTY...
...A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...
MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES FROM 2 PM FRIDAY
UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE LATEST TRACK HAS SHIFTED MORE TO THE SOUTHWEST...WHICH WILL
REDUCE THE FLOOD AND WIND IMPACTS ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...
MANATEE...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE
COUNTY NORTH TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY. A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY NORTH TO
ANCLOTE KEY IN PINELLAS COUNTY. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES FROM 2 PM FRIDAY UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 11 PM EDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST. THIS POSITION WAS
ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MIAMI OR ABOUT 105 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
FORT MYERS. KATRINA WAS MOVING WEST SOUTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD IMPACTS...
DUE TO A MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK...RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE LESS THAN
EXPECTED AS RAIN ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE SYSTEM IS LIMITED.
HOWEVER...THE POTENTIAL FOR FRESHWATER FLOODING STILL EXISTS AND THE
FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR FRIDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES CAN
NOW EXPECT 4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IN THE
RAINBANDS. MANATEE...SARASOTA...HARDEE...DESOTO AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES CAN EXPECT 2 TO 4 INCHES. AREAS FROM PINELLAS AND
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTIES NORTH CAN EXPECT 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT 10 TO 20 MPH
OVERNIGHT WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WINDS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WILL THEN
SHIFT TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST AND INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 45 MPH FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE CENTER OF
KATRINA PASSES TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOS WILL BE ON SATURDAY WITH THE
STRONGER RAIN BANDS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HURRICANE.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM SURGE IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS WINDS WILL REMAIN
PREDOMINANTLY OFFSHORE. WINDS WILL THEN SHIFT TO THE SOUTH SATURDAY
AND WILL CAUSE A QUICK RISE IN TIDAL LEVELS. THE FORT MYERS AND PUNTA
GORDA AREAS COULD SEE TIDES 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL BEGINNING
SATURDAY MORNING. THESE HIGHER TIDAL LEVELS WILL THEN SHIFT NORTHWARD
THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY AND INCREASE TO 3 TO 5 FEET...REACHING THE
CLEARWATER AREA BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. TAMPA BAY WILL LIKELY SEE
TIDES 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL SUNDAY MORNING. NORTH OF THE WARNING
AREA FROM PORT RICHEY NORTH TO CEDAR KEY...TIDES WILL BE 3 TO 6 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL LATER ON SUNDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL KATRINA PASSES BY THE AREA
AND WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SEAS WILL
INCREASE UP TO 10 FEET OFFSHORE BY FRIDAY EVENING...AND POSSIBLY
BUILD AS HIGH AS 15 FEET OFFSHORE LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 130 AND 200 AM.

$$

JLC/DN

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