[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 271759
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-272130-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
200 PM EDT SAT AUG 27 2005

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING WEST OF KEY WEST TO THE DRY TORTUGAS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

...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 200 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.4 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 230 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 949 MB...OR 28.02 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 OPEN...AND COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICE HAS BEGUN
TO SLOWLY RESUME. FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON IS OPEN AS WELL. 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 LATE AFTERNOON...BEFORE GRADUALLY
DIMINISHING BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE EARLY THIS EVENING. 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 530 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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