[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 270622
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-270930-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
230 AM EDT SAT AUG 27 2005

...EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING WEST SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE GULF OF
MEXICO WEST 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 UPPER
SUGARLOAF KEY TO KEY WEST...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 500 AM THIS
MORNING...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE IMPACTS.
UPDATED STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE 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 UPPER SUGARLOAF KEY TO KEY WEST UNTIL
5 AM THIS MORNING. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE
FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 5 AM THIS MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 200 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.0 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 135 MILES
WEST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR
110 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE.
FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND
KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE TODAY. KATRINA IS
MOVING WEST SOUTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN TO THE WEST OR WEST
NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS ESTIMATED AT 963 MB...OR 28.44 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE CAUTIONED RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO
REMAIN INDOORS EARLY THIS MORNING. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT HAS NOT ISSUED ANY EVACUATION ORDERS AND NO SHELTERS ARE
OPEN. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AND FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON AIRPORTS WILL
LIKELY OPEN THIS MORNING. BUS SERVICE OUT OF THE KEYS WILL RESUME
THIS MORNING. KEYS ELECTRIC COMPANY REPORTS TEN THOUSAND CUSTOMERS
ARE WITHOUT POWER BETWEEN BIG PINE KEY AND KEY WEST. FLORIDA KEYS
ELECTRIC CO OP REPORTS UP TO FIFTEEN HUNDRED CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT
POWER IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. CREWS ARE ASSESSING CONDITIONS
AND WILL MAKE REPAIRS WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS FALL BELOW 35 MPH. THE
FLORIDA KEYS AQUEDUCT AUTHORITY REPORTS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WATER
SUPPLY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 55 MPH WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH DAYBREAK MAINLY OVER THE MIDDLE AND LOWER KEYS.
OVER THE UPPER KEYS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
40 MPH WILL CONTINUE...WITH STRONGER GUSTS IN SQUALLS. BETWEEN 100
AM AND 200 AM THIS MORNING...PEAK WIND GUSTS INCLUDED 53 MPH AT THE
KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...69 MPH AT DRY TORTUGAS...44 MPH
AT SOMBRERO KEY LIGHT...AND 56 MPH AT SAND KEY LIGHT.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS TODAY THROUGH
PROBABLY SUNDAY. GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE WILL AFFECT THE GULF OF
MEXICO WATERS AROUND AND NORTH OF THE DRY TORTUGAS AS HURRICANE
KATRINA MOVES SLOWLY WEST OF THE AREA. PRIMARILY SOUTHEAST WINDS OF
35 TO 45 KNOTS WILL CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING OVER MOST WATERS
ADJOINING THE FLORIDA KEYS...WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 50 KNOTS. SEAS
WILL CONTINUE AT 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 ARE CURRENTLY ESTIMATED AT AROUND 1.5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG
THE SOUTH SHORE OF KEY WEST. TIDES WILL CONTINUE 1 TO 2 FEET HIGHER
THAN NORMAL THIS MORNING...WITH MINOR FLOODING OF DOCKS AND
SOUTH-FACING COASTAL STREETS...INCLUDING SOUTH ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD
IN KEY WEST...AROUND THE NORMAL HIGH TIDE BETWEEN 3 AND 5 AM THIS
MORNING.

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

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM UPPER
SUGARLOAF KEY TO KEY WEST UNTIL 5 AM THIS MORNING. WIDESPREAD
FRESHWATER FLOODING CONTINUES IN THE ISLAND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE
LOWER KEYS...ESPECIALLY FROM UPPER SUGARLOAF KEY TO KEY WEST. EVEN
THOUGH RAIN IS DIMINISHING...WATER WILL BE VERY SLOW TO RECEDE THIS
MORNING AS HIGH TIDE NEARS. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES AND STORM
SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATE 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS ACCUMULATED
SINCE 800 AM FRIDAY...AND ANOTHER 1-2 INCHES OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN
THE LOWER KEYS THIS MORNING. OVER 9.66 INCHES OF RAIN HAS BEEN
RECORDED AT KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DURING FRIDAY...MAKING
FRIDAY THE FOURTH WETTEST CALENDAR DAY IN KEY WEST SINCE RECORDS
BEGAN IN 1871.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE 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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