[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 271535 CCA
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-271830-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1120 AM EDT SAT AUG 27 2005

CORRECTED STORM INFORMATION SECTION MAX WIND

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING DISCONTINUED FOR THE LOWER KEYS FROM THE
WEST END OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WEST OF KEY WEST TO
THE DRY TORTUGAS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED WATCHES AND WARNINGS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE 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 WEST OF KEY WEST TO
THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.0 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 200 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. KATRINA IS MOVING WEST NEAR 7 MPH. THE MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS ESTIMATED AT 940 MB...OR 27.91 INCHES OF
MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ABOUT 9000 OF 59000 KEYS ELECTRICITY CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT POWER
THIS MORNING ACCORDING TO UTILITY OFFICIALS. CREWS ARE NOW WELL
UNDERWAY WITH RESTORATION EFFORTS. IN FACT...UTILITY CREWS FROM THE
MAINLAND HAVE TRAVELED TO THE KEYS TO HELP OUR LOCAL CREWS WITH
RESTORATION EFFORTS. STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED POWER LINES. KEY WEST
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS NOW OPEN AGAIN...AND COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICE
IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY RESUME THIS AFTERNOON. FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON
AIRPORT WILL REOPEN AT NOON TODAY. GREYHOUND BUS SERVICES HAVE
RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS. FLOODING IN THE LOWER KEYS AND KEY WEST
HAS RECEDED CONSIDERABLY...AND DRIVING CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED.
HOWEVER...OFFICIALS CAUTION RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EXERCISE
CAUTION WHEN DRIVING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH REMAINING
FLOODED AREAS. OFFICIALS ARE EVALUATING THE PORT OF KEY WEST...AND
WILL KNOW ITS STATUS LATER TODAY. JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE
PARK IS OPEN...AND THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE PARKS IN THE KEYS
SHOULD REOPEN SUNDAY OR MONDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL PERSIST FROM WEST OF KEY WEST TO
BEYOND THE DRY TORTUGAS. SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 60 MPH IN  HEAVY RAIN SQUALLS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON. WINDS HAVE FALLEN BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE FROM OCEAN
REEF TO KEY WEST. SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH WINDS WILL BLOW AT 25 TO 35 MPH
IN THE LOWER KEYS...AND 15 TO 25 MPH IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
HAZARDOUS WINDS AND SEAS WILL AFFECT MOST KEYS WATERS THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. OVER WATERS FROM WEST OF KEY WEST TO BEYOND
THE DRY TORTUGAS...AS WELL AS THE GULF OF MEXICO WATERS BEYOND 20
NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF MAINLAND MONROE...SUSTAINED SOUTHEAST TO
SOUTH WINDS OF 30 TO 40 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 KNOTS IN RAIN
SQUALLS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...BEFORE GRADUALLY
DIMINISHING BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE LATER TODAY. FROM OCEAN REEF
TO KEY WEST...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY...SOUTH WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS
WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 KNOTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SEAS
OF 8 TO 15 FEET ARE EXPECTED IN OPEN WATERS WEST OF KEY WEST...AND
SEAS OF 6 TO 9 FEET ARE EXPECTED BEYOND THE REEF IN THE STRAITS OF
FLORIDA ADJACENT TO THE ISLANDS FROM OCEAN REEF TO KEY WEST. BAY AND
NEARSHORE WATERS WILL REMAIN VERY ROUGH...AND SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
REMAIN IN PORT. ISOLATED VIOLENT WATERSPOUTS ARE POSSIBLE OVER
WATERS WEST OF KEY WEST TO BEYOND DRY TORTUGAS.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
NUMEROUS HEAVY RAIN SQUALLS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE WATERS
FROM WEST OF KEY WEST TO BEYOND THE DRY TORTUGAS. HOWEVER...ONLY
SCATTERED RAIN SQUALLS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE ISLAND CHAIN FROM OCEAN
REEF TO KEY WEST. THE SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT HAS ENDED...
AND FLOOD WATERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SLOWLY RECEDE THIS AFTERNOON.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE KATRINA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 230 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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