[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 271214
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-271530-

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

...MAJOR HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING WESTWARD THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO WEST OF THE DRY TORTUGAS...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA
KEYS FROM THE WEST END OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE THROUGH DRY
TORTUGAS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED WATCHES AND WARNINGS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE IMPACTS.
UPDATED STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE 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 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA
KEYS FROM THE WEST END OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE THROUGH KEY WEST AND
WEST TO DRY TORTUGAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.6 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 180 MILES
WEST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS...WHICH MAKES KATRINA A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY DURING THE NEXT
24 HOURS. KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST NEAR 7 MPH. A GRADUAL
TOWARDS THE WEST NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS ESTIMATED AT 940 MB...OR 27.91 INCHES
OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CARE AND DO NOT MAKE
ANY UNNECESSARY DRIVING TRIPS THIS MORNING. KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL
AND FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON AIRPORTS ARE CLOSED AT THIS TIME...BUT ARE
EXPECTED TO RESUME SOME FLIGHTS LATER TODAY. KEYS ENERGY SERVICES
REPORTS TEN THOUSAND CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER BETWEEN BIG PINE
KEY AND KEY WEST. FLORIDA KEYS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE REPORTS 900
CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER IN THE UPPER KEYS. CREWS IN THE LOWER KEYS
WILL BEGIN TO MAKE REPAIRS WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS FALL BELOW 35 MPH.
THE FLORIDA KEYS AQUEDUCT AUTHORITY REPORTS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE
WATER SUPPLY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
OVER THE LOWER KEYS...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH LATE MORNING...BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING THIS AFTERNOON.
OCCASIONAL SQUALLS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY...BRINGING BRIEF
GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH. ALONG THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS FROM
MARATHON THROUGH OCEAN REEF...SUSTAINED WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT 15 TO
25 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS OVER 30 MPH. BETWEEN 7 AND 8 AM...PEAK
WIND GUSTS INCLUDED 48 MPH AT KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
48 MPH AT SAND KEY...AND 55 MPH AT DRY TORTUGAS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT KEYS WATERS TODAY THROUGH
PROBABLY SUNDAY. OVER WATERS FROM THE WEST END OF THE SEVEN MILE
BRIDGE THROUGH DRY TORTUGAS...INCLUDING THE GULF WATERS NORTH OF THE
LOWER KEYS OUT TO 60 NM WEST OF MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY...SUSTAINED
SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND
50 KNOTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDDAY...BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING
BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE BY AFTERNOON. ACROSS THE WATERS FROM THE
WEST END OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE THROUGH OCEAN REEF INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY...SUSTAINED SOUTH WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO
AROUND 30 KNOTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SEAS WILL CONTINUE
AT 8 TO 15 FEET IN OPEN WATERS WEST OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...AND
CONTINUE AT 6 TO 9 FEET IN OPEN WATERS OF THE FLORIDA STRAITS EAST
OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE. BAY AND NEARSHORE WATERS WILL REMAIN VERY
ROUGH...AND SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WAVE ACTION FROM STRONG SOUTH WINDS WILL CAUSE MINOR OVERWASH ON LOW
LYING COASTAL ROADS...INCLUDING SOUTH ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD THIS
MORNING. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS...MAINLY
THIS MORNING.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE WITH HEAVIER
SQUALLS ACROSS THE LOWER KEYS...FROM BIG PINE KEY THROUGH KEY WEST.
WATERS ON POORLY DRAINED STREETS AND PARKING LOTS WILL BE SLOW TO
RECEDE THIS MORNING. OVER 9.66 INCHES OF RAIN HAD 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 1130 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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