[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 260704
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-260930-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
305 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...KATRINA MOVES INTO GULF OF MEXICO 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF
MARCO ISLAND AS A TROPICAL STORM...
...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 WIND AND FLOODING RAIN THREAT HAS BEEN REDUCED FOR AREAS NORTH
OF FORT MYERS. HOWEVER...CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY IF KATRINA
DECIDES TO CURVE NORTH SOONER THAN EXPECTED.

...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 REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR LEE...CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND
HIGHLANDS COUNTIES UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 3 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.3 WEST. THIS POSITION WAS ABOUT
90 MILES SOUTH 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 THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES CAN 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...
WINDS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WILL SHIFT TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST
AND WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH THIS MORNING
THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE CENTER OF KATRINA MOVES WEST INTO THE
GULF.

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

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
OFFSHORE WINDS WILL HOLD OFF THE STORM SURGE UNTIL LATE SATURDAY
WHEN WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AND CAUSE A QUICK RISE IN
TIDAL LEVELS. THE FORT MYERS AND PUNTA GORDA AREAS COULD SEE TIDES 2
TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL BEGINNING LATE SATURDAY. THESE HIGHER TIDAL
LEVELS WILL THEN SHIFT NORTHWARD SUNDAY REACHING CLEARWATER
AROUND NOON. TAMPA BAY WILL LIKELY SEE TIDES 2 TO 4 FEET AROUND
NOON SUNDAY. TIDES FROM PORT RICHEY TO CRYSTAL RIVER WILL BE 3 TO 5
FEET ABOVE NORMAL SUNDAY EVENING. CEDAR KEY AND THE SOUTH
EXPOSURE OF LEVY COUNTY WILL SEE TIDES 3 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
LATE 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 6 AND 630 AM.

$$

NOAH


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