[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KMOB 280713
HLSMOB
ALZ051>053-061>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-281100-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
210 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...KATRINA STRENGTHENS TO CATEGORY FOUR WITH 145 MPH WINDS...

...RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS NEED TO PREPARE TODAY FOR
THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS
IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...
STONE...GEORGE...PERRY...GREENE AND WAYNE.

IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
MOBILE...BALDWIN...WASHINGTON...CLARKE AND CHOCTAW.

IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA...
ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA AND OKALOOSA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AT 2 AM CDT...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL AND
INLAND MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES. AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS
IN EFFECT FOR STONE AND GEORGE COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL AND INLAND
ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PERRY...GREENE AND WAYNE
COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS
IN EFFECT FOR WASHINGTON...CLARKE AND CHOCTAW COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA. PLEASE SEE THE BHMNPWMOB PRODUCT FOR DETAILS RELATED TO THE
INLAND AREAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.8 WEST OR ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTH OF
PENSACOLA FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. A GRADUAL
TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY.

HURRICANE KATRINA HAS MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 145 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS NOW A VERY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING
IS POSSIBLE TODAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI NEED TO MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE POTENTIAL LANDFALL OF A
MAJOR HURRICANE ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA OR
MISSISSIPPI COAST MONDAY AFTERNOON. HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS WILL LIKELY OCCUR 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 AND FLORIDA 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
TIDE IS EXPECTED TO BE FELT WELL EAST OF THE STORMS CENTER. BASED ON
THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK...A STORM TIDE OF 10 TO 15 FEET IS EXPECTED
ALONG COASTAL MOBILE COUNTY AND THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF MOBILE BAY. A
STORM TIDE OF 8 TO 10 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG COASTAL BALDWIN COUNTY.
THESE TIDE HEIGHT VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INUNDATION
ALONG PORTIONS OF DAUPHIN ISLAND AND FORT MORGAN PENINSULA. ALSO...A
STORM TIDE OF 5 TO 7 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG THE EXTREME NORTHWEST
FLORIDA COASTLINE. MINOR STREET FLOODING WAS ALREADY REPORTED ALONG
NAVARRE BEACH EARLY THIS MORNING.

...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 NIGHT...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 WITH
WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES EXPECTED...WITH ISOLATED
HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 15 INCHES POSSIBLE.

...NEW INFORMATION...
KATRINA STRENGTHENS TO CATEGORY FOUR WITH 145 MPH WINDS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THIS OFFICE
AROUND 500 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING.

$$

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