[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 261539
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-261830-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1138 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...KATRINA CONTINUES MOVING WEST OVER THE SOUTHEAST GULF AS IT
BECOMES STRONGER...
...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...

...NEW INFORMATION...
LATEST FORECAST SHOWS KATRINA...WHILE INCREASING IN STRENGTH...
CONTINUING TO MOVE WEST. THIS WESTWARD TRACK WILL LESSEN THE IMPACT
FOR OUR REGION. THE EXPECTED RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE DECREASED ACROSS
THE AREA...ALLOWING THE FLOOD WATCH WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR LEE...
CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA...MANATEE...DESOTO...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS
COUNTIES TO BE DISCONTINUED AT NOON TODAY. HOWEVER SIGNIFICANT
IMPACTS ARE STILL EXPECTED OVER OUR GULF COASTAL WATERS.

...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.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST. THIS POSITION WAS
ABOUT 105 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF FORT MYERS. KATRINA WAS MOVING
WEST NEAR 7 MPH.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CORE OF THE HEAVY RAIN IS NOW EXPECTED TO REMAIN OFFSHORE...
WHILE RAIN BANDS WILL CONTINUE TO ROTATE ACROSS THE STATE...THE
RAINFALL TOTALS EXPECTED HAVE DECREASE. LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES
CAN EXPECT TOTALS IN THE 1 TO 2 INCH RANGE. MANATEE...SARASOTA...
HARDEE...DESOTO AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES CAN EXPECT UP TO 1 INCH.
AREAS FROM PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH AND POLK COUNTIES NORTH WILL SEE
GENERALLY LESS THAN 1 INCH OF RAIN.THE POTENTIAL FOR FRESHWATER
FLOODING HAS DIMINISHED BECAUSE OF THE REDUCTION IN RAINFALL...
ALLOWING THE FLOOD WATCH TO END AT NOON TODAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WILL SHIFT TO THE EAST AND THEN
SOUTHEAST AND WILL INCREASE TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH IN
RAINBANDS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE CENTER OF KATRINA
MOVES THROUGH THE GULF.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY 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 LATER 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 1 TO 2
FEET ABOVE NORMAL LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. THESE HIGHER TIDAL
LEVELS WILL THEN SHIFT NORTHWARD REACHING CLEARWATER EARLY SUNDAY.
TAMPA BAY WILL LIKELY SEE TIDES 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL EARLY
SUNDAY. TIDES FROM PORT RICHEY TO CRYSTAL RIVER WILL BE 1 TO 2 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL DURING SUNDAY. CEDAR KEY AND THE SOUTH EXPOSURE OF LEVY
COUNTY WILL SEE TIDES 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LATER 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 THIS 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 200 AND 230 PM.

$$

RKR

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