[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KMOB 280025
HLSMOB
ALZ051>053-061>064-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-280430-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
725 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 2005

...HURRICANE WATCH EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES...

...A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA TO
THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER...

...HURRICANE KATRINA IS NOW MOVING SLOWLY WEST TO NORTHWEST ACROSS
THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...INLAND SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...AND PORTIONS OF INLAND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AT 7 PM CDT...A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
AREAS OF MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES. CORRESPONDINGLY...THE INLAND
PORTIONS OF MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES ARE IN AN INLAND HURRICANE
WATCH. THE SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES OF STONE...GEORGE...
PERRY...GREENE AND WAYNE COUNTIES ARE ALSO IN AN INLAND HURRICANE
WATCH. THE FOLLOWING SOUTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES...WASHINGTON...CLARKE
AND CHOCTAW COUNTIES ARE IN AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH. FOR THE
LATEST PLEASE SEE THE PRODUCT BHMNPWMOB.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 7 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.9 WEST OR ABOUT 360 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

KATRINA HAS BEGUN TO MOVE TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH.
THIS GENERAL MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY.

HURRICANE KATRINA HAS MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 115 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS...MAKING KATRINA A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS AND KATRINA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE
LATER TONIGHT OR SUNDAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD
MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE POTENTIAL LANDFALL OF A MAJOR HURRICANE
ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA SOMETIME
MIDDAY MONDAY. ON MONDAY...HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
COULD BE FELT WELL EAST OF THE STORM CENTER...ALONG WITH MODERATE TO
HIGH STORM SURGE ALONG THE ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA COASTAL
AREAS.

ANY EVACUATION DECISIONS FOR COASTAL ALABAMA ARE EXPECTED TO BE MADE
ON SUNDAY. RECOMMENDED AND MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS ARE IN EFFECT
FOR COASTAL MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL SOMEWHERE NEAR SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AS A MAJOR HURRICANE. WHILE EXACT LOCATION OF LANDFALL IS
STILL UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME...SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING STORM
SURGE IS EXPECTED TO BE FELT WELL EAST OF THE STORMS CENTER. BASED ON
THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK...A STORM SURGE OF 8 TO 12 FEET IS
EXPECTED ALONG COASTAL MOBILE COUNTY AND THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF
MOBILE BAY. A STORM SURGE OF 7 TO 9 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG COASTAL
BALDWIN COUNTY. THESE SURGE HEIGHT VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE
SIGNIFICANT INUNDATION ALONG PORTIONS OF DAUPHIN ISLAND AND FORT
MORGAN PENINSULA. ALSO...A STORM SURGE OF 4 TO 6 FEET IS EXPECTED
ALONG THE EXTREME NORTHWEST FLORIDA COASTLINE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND OF 10 TO 20 MPH SHOULD CONTINUE OVER
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY...
THEN INCREASE SUNDAY AFTERNOON TO AROUND 15 TO 20 MPH INLAND AND 20
TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS CLOSER TO THE ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST
FLORIDA COASTLINES. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY TO
OVERSPREAD THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA COASTAL AREAS SUNDAY
EVENING...WITH THE REMAINING INLAND PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
AND PORTIONS OF INLAND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA SOMETIME MONDAY MORNING.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA
COASTS BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING...THEN SPREADING INLAND ACROSS
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI BY MONDAY AFTERNOON.

...RIP CURRENTS AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS...
DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY ON SUNDAY...
BECOMING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH THE
APPROACHING MAJOR HURRICANE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SWIMMERS STAY OUT
OF THE WATER SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

...RAINFALL...
SQUALLS AND HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE KATRINA ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON. ONCE THESE
ONSET...THEY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY NIGHT.

...NEW INFORMATION...
A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED EASTWARD TO INCLUDE THE ALABAMA
COAST.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THIS
OFFICE AROUND 1030 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

$$

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