[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 260726 CCA
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-260930-

TROPICAL STORM KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
315 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...TROPICAL STORM KATRINA MOVING SOUTHWEST OVER THE NEARSHORE WATERS
OFF OF MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS
INCLUDING DRY TORTUGAS...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL SATURDAY
MORNING...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED WIND 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...
FLORIDA BAY...AND NOW INCLUDES THE DRY TORTUGAS. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...INCLUDING WINDS OF 39
TO 73 MPH...ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. FOR
THOSE PLANNING TO DRIVE NORTH FROM THE KEYS...BE AWARE THAT A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM FLORIDA CITY TO JUPITER
INLET...AS WELL AS ALONG THE GULF COAST FROM FLORIDA CITY AROUND TO
LONGBOAT KEY. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS
TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 300 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.3 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 60
MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR
70 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST
SOUTHWEST NEAR 11 MPH...AND A TURN TOWARDS THE WEST IS EXPECTED
LATER THIS MORNING. GRADUAL RE-STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED NOW THAT
KATRINA HAS EMERGED OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO...AND KATRINA COULD
REGAIN HURRICANE STATUS LATER TODAY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 990 MB...OR 29.23 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES
WILL REMAIN OPEN. 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 THIS MORNING.
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 TODAY FOR AIRLINES SERVING KEY WEST TO MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL AND FORT LAUDERDALE HOLLYWOOD AIRPORTS. PASSENGERS
WITH RESERVATIONS SHOULD CHECK WITH AIRLINES PRIOR TO GOING TO THE
AIRPORTS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...INCLUDING WINDS RANGING BETWEEN 39 MPH
AND 73 MPH...ARE EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY. RESIDENTS
SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS WHICH COULD BE BLOWN ABOUT IN STRONG
WINDS. THROUGH 500 AM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FROM
THE SOUTH...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH WILL AFFECT THE UPPER KEYS.
WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60
MPH...WILL AFFECT THE MIDDLE KEYS. OVER THE LOWER KEYS...WINDS WILL
INCREASE OUT OF THE WEST WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 50 MPH IN SQUALLS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS TODAY THROUGH
SUNDAY. GENERALLY WINDS SOUTHWEST TO SOUTH TODAY...WITH SPEEDS OF 40
TO 45 KNOTS OR MORE OVER MOST KEYS WATERS...AND FREQUENT GUSTS OF 50
TO 55 KNOTS OR MORE. OVER GULF WATERS OFFSHORE MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTY...SUSTAINED WINDS UP TO 45 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 60 KNOTS
WILL BE LIKELY THIS MORNING. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST
OVER TROPICAL STORM FORCE THIS AFTERNOON. SEAS WILL BUILD UP TO
AROUND 10 FEET IN OPEN WATERS...WHILE BAY AND NEARSHORE WATERS
BECOME EXTREMELY ROUGH. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
NO SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. TIDES
ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ONE FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ON THE BAYSIDE AT
MARATHON. STORM TIDES WILL BE 1 TO 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS ALONG THE BAYSIDE OF THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. THIS WILL
CAUSE MINOR NUISANCE FLOODING OF DOCKS AND LOW COASTAL STREETS...
ALONG THE BAYSIDE THE UPPER KEYS AND JEWFISH CREEK...MAINLY DURING
THIS MORNING.

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

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TODAY THROUGH
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES HAVE REGISTERED
RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES THUS FAR FOR THIS
STORM...AND EVEN HIGHER TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE
KEYS. TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE
FOR THE PERIOD THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...AS MULTIPLE PASSING RAIN
BANDS WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS SWEEP OVER THE KEYS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON TROPICAL STORM KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 530 AM EDT...OR WHEN NEW
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK
OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEY WEST.

$$

RIZZO/FUTTERMAN





















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