[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KJAN 280350
HLSJAN
MSZ025>033-035>066-072>074-281200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1050 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA HEADED FOR THE CENTRAL GULF
COAST REGION...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COAST FROM
INTRACOASTAL CITY EAST TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER. INLAND
HURRICANE WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF FAR SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI...AND INLAND TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE WATCHES WILL
LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI BY
SUNDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 PM...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
25.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.2 WEST OR ABOUT 335 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST
OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE
WEST- NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH...WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST
EXPECTED ON SUNDAY.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES KATRINA A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE STORM ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. KATRINA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR
HURRICANE ON SUNDAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
KATRINA IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL OVER SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE MONDAY MORNING. WHILE
THE HURRICANE WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INLAND...IT WILL LIKELY REMAIN
A HURRICANE WELL INTO SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...AND A STRONG TROPICAL
STORM AS IT MOVES INTO NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

PEOPLE SHOULD BEGIN TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS NOW FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR
VERY STRONG...DAMAGING WINDS. LOOSE OBJECTS OUTDOORS SHOULD BE MOVED
INSIDE. PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF PROLONGED POWER OUTAGES.
PEOPLE RESIDING IN HOMES THAT ARE NOT WELL CONSTRUCTED MAY WANT TO
CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS TO RIDE THE PASSAGE OF THE STORM
OUT...PARTICULARLY OVER AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 WHERE HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS COULD OCCUR.

...INLAND WIND IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH COULD AFFECT THE AREA ALONG AND
EAST OF A NATCHEZ TO VICKSBURG TO GRENADA LINE...WITH GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF HURRICANE FORCE...74 MPH...POSSIBLE. WITHIN THIS
AREA...SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS GREATER THAN 74 MPH COULD
OCCUR SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BEGIN TO
IMPACT SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI MONDAY MORNING...AND SPREAD NORTH INTO
THE HIGHWAY 82 CORRIDOR BY MONDAY EVENING.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WITH THE LANDFALL OF KATRINA STILL
36 TO 48 HOURS...SIGNIFICANT CHANGES COULD STILL OCCUR TO THE
FORECAST TRACK. A TRACK FARTHER TO THE WEST WOULD CAUSE THE STRONGEST
WINDS AND HEAVIEST RAIN TO SHIFT FARTHER WEST AND OVERSPREAD THE AREA
TOWARD THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...WHILE A TRACK FARTHER EAST WOULD
CAUSE THE WORST WEATHER TO BE CONFINED TO EASTERN MISSISSIPPI.

...INLAND FLOODING IMPACTS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH LOCALIZED
GREATER AMOUNTS...COULD OCCUR IN THE AREA ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF
THE TRACK. THIS COULD CAUSE URBAN FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING OF
SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS.

...PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE CONDITIONS...
THE EXPERIMENTAL PROBABILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ASSOCIATED
WITH KATRINA FOR JACKSON IS 65 PERCENT. THE PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS IS 20 PERCENT.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 6 AM CDT.

$$

GERARD/CRAVEN

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