[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 261545
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-261730-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1145 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING WEST ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO NORTHEAST
OF THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY AND THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM BIG PINE
KEY TO KEY WEST...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL SATURDAY
MORNING...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED WATCHES AND WARNINGS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE IMPACTS.
UPDATED STORM SURGE IMPACTS.
UPDATED RAINFALL 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 THE FLORIDA KEYS...
FLORIDA BAY...AND THE DRY TORTUGAS. A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM BIG PINE KEY TO KEY WEST UNTIL 300 PM
EDT. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS CONTINUING
UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1130 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 45 MILES
NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST...OR ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT
JEFFERSON IN THE DRY TORTUGAS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 7 MPH...AND
THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. KATRINA
IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND KATRINA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY THREE
OR MAJOR HURRICANE ON SATURDAY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 971 MB...OR 28.67 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE CAUTIONED RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO
REMAIN INDOORS TODAY. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS AND OFFICES ARE CLOSED
TODAY. 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. FLORIDA KEYS VISITORS SHOULD
CHECK WITH THEIR FRONT DESK FOR ANY OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AND
FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON AIRPORTS ARE CLOSED. FLORIDA KEYS UTILITY
OFFICIALS REPORTED ABOUT 5000 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER. CREWS ARE
UNABLE TO MAKE REPAIRS AT THIS TIME DUE TO HAZARDOUS WEATHER. THE
FLORIDA KEYS AQUEDUCT AUTHORITY REPORTS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WATER
SUPPLY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...INCLUDING WINDS RANGING BETWEEN 39 MPH
AND 73 MPH...ARE EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY. THROUGH 100
PM...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH...WITH
GUSTS OF 60 TO 80 MPH OR MORE...ON THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST EDGE OF
KATRINA'S CORE...WILL AFFECT THE FLORIDA KEYS...ESPECIALLY THE LOWER
KEYS AND KEY WEST. A NOAA SHIP ANCHORED IN KEY WEST HARBOR REPORTED
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 59 MPH WITH A GUST TO 86 MPH IN STRONG SQUALLS
BETWEEN 1000 AM AND 1100 AM. IN ADDITION...A WIND GUST OF 74 MPH WAS
RECORDED AT KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 1126 AM.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS TODAY THROUGH
PROBABLY SUNDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE GULF OF
MEXICO WATERS NORTH OF THE MARQUESAS KEYS AND DRY TORTUGAS AS
HURRICANE KATRINA MOVES WEST OVER THE AREA. A PRIMARILY SOUTH WIND
DIRECTION TODAY WILL SEE SPEEDS OF 40 TO 60 KNOTS OR MORE OVER MOST
WATERS ADJOINING THE FLORIDA KEYS...WITH GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS OR MORE.
SEAS WILL REACH 8 TO 15 FEET OR HIGHER IN OPEN WATERS...WHILE BAY
AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL BE EXTREMELY ROUGH. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES MAY RUN UP TO 2 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL...WITH MINOR FLOODING
OF DOCKS AND SOUTH-FACING COASTAL STREETS TODAY...INCLUDING SOUTH
ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD IN KEY WEST.

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

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM BIG
PINE KEY TO KEY WEST...UNTIL 300 PM EDT. WIDESPREAD STREET AND
PARKING LOT FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN ISLAND COMMUNITIES ACROSS
THE LOWER KEYS. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES AND STORM SPOTTER REPORTS
INDICATE 3 TO 6 INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS ACCUMULATED SINCE 800 AM...
AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY BY
300 PM IN THE WARNING AREA...AS MULTIPLE PASSING RAIN BANDS WITH
HEAVY DOWNPOURS SWEEP OVER THE KEYS. SINCE 100 AM...5.08 INCHES OF
RAINFALL HAS BEEN RECORDED AT KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. A
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR
TODAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 130 PM EDT...OR WHEN NEW
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK
OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEY WEST.

$$

K. KASPER




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