[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 261117
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-261330-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
720 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING WEST OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS 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.
UPDATED MARINE IMPACTS.
UPDATED STORM SURGE IMPACTS.
UPDATED RAINFALL IMPACTS.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

...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 THE DRY TORTUGAS. FOR THOSE PLANNING TO DRIVE
NORTH FROM THE KEYS...BE AWARE THAT A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN
EFFECT FROM FLORIDA CITY TO DEERFIELD BEACH...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 700 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.8 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 50 MILES
NORTH OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST NEAR 5 MPH...AND
THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS...WITH A
SLIGHT INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. KATRINA IS A CATEGORY ONE
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS
FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 987 MB...OR 29.15 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE CITY OF MARATHON HAS REQUESTED THAT PEOPLE REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES
AND DO NOT DRIVE OUT ON CITY STREETS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS
TREES...SOME POWER LINES AND SIGNS DOWN ON ROADWAYS. LIKEWISE...ALL
KEYS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOULD REMAIN INSIDE THEIR HOMES OR
PLACE OF LODGING THIS MORNING. MONROE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED
TODAY. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES WILL OPEN AT NOON. MONROE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS NOT ISSUED ANY EVACUATION ORDERS AND NO
SHELTERS ARE OPEN. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOULD MONITOR THE
PROGRESS OF KATRINA AND LISTEN FOR ANY BULLETINS FROM OFFICIAL
MONROE COUNTY SOURCES. VISITORS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS 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 MAINLAND AIRPORTS DUE TO THE ROUGH WEATHER. PASSENGERS WITH
RESERVATIONS SHOULD CHECK WITH AIRLINES PRIOR TO GOING TO THE
AIRPORTS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY.
RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS AND NOT DRIVE ON AREA ROADWAYS...AS
NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS AND SOME SIGNS HAVE FALLEN. THROUGH 900
AM...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS IN EXCESS
OF 60 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE KEYS. WINDS WILL CONTINUE OUT
OF THE SOUTH ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS...AND BE MAINLY OUT OF
THE SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE LOWER KEYS. FURTHER DAMAGE TO TREES...SOME
ROOFS AND OVERHANGS...AND POWER LINES WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING.

...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 ARE LIKELY OVER THE ATLANTIC WATERS...WITH
FREQUENT GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 KNOTS OR MORE. EVEN HIGHER WINDS ARE
EXPECTED NORTH OF THE LOWER KEYS AND THE GULF WATERS NORTH OF KEY
WEST TO DRY TORTUGAS...WITH SUSTAINED WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 45 TO
55 KNOTS WITH GUSTS ABOVE 65 KNOTS. SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
NEAR 65 KNOTS...WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 80 KNOTS...ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE
OFFSHORE CHOKOLOSKEE WATERS 20 TO 60 NM WEST OF MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTY. SEAS WILL BUILD UP TO BETWEEN 8 AND 12 FEET IN THE OPEN
ATLANTIC WATERS...EXCEPT 10 TO 15 FEET ACROSS THE OFFSHORE
CHOKOLOSKEE WATERS 20 TO 60 NM WEST OF MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY. BAY
AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL BECOME EXTREMELY ROUGH. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING AROUND ONE FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ON THE
BAYSIDE AT MARATHON. STORM TIDES UP TO 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL
TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE BAYSIDE MAINLY IN THE EXTREME UPPER KEYS
NEAR KEY LARGO. THIS WILL CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF DOCKS AND LOW
COASTAL STREETS TODAY.

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

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN LOWER KEYS
INCLUDING BIG PINE KEY...AND THE MIDDLE KEYS...INCLUDING
MARATHON...UNTIL 1145 AM EDT. A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT WIDESPREAD
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. DO NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED AREAS. HEAVY RAINS WILL
CONTINUE TO FALL OVER AREAS THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED UP TO FIVE
INCHES OF RAIN SINCE MIDNIGHT.

A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TODAY THROUGH EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING. DOPPLER RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES FOR THIS STORM
INCLUDE 5 TO 7 INCHES ACROSS THE UPPER KEYS...4 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS
THE MIDDLE KEYS...AND 1 TO 3 INCHES IN THE LOWER KEYS. TOTAL
RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE
KEYS BY SATURDAY MORNING...AS MULTIPLE PASSING RAIN BANDS WITH HEAVY
DOWNPOURS WILL CONTINUE TO SWEEP OVER THE KEYS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON TROPICAL STORM KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 930 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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