[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KMOB 281254
HLSMOB
ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-281700-

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

...KATRINA STRENGTHENS TO A CATEGORY 5 WITH 160 MPH WINDS...

...RECORD STORM TIDES POSSIBLE ACROSS MOBILE COUNTY...

...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 SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...ESCAMBIA...COVINGTON...WASHINGTON...CONECUH...
MONROE...BUTLER...CLARKE...CRENSHAW...WILCOX...CHOCTAW...BALDWIN AND
MOBILE COUNTIES.

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

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

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AT 750 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 AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE 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 ESCAMBIA...COVINGTON...WASHINGTON...CONECUH...
MONROE...BUTLER...CLARKE...CRENSHAW...WILCOX AND CHOCTAW COUNTIES.

PLEASE SEE THE BHMNPWMOB PRODUCT FOR DETAILS RELATED TO THE INLAND
AREAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 750 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.9 WEST OR ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTH
OF THE MOUTH OF MOBILE BAY.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...AND A
GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED
OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA
IS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-
SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI NEED TO MAKE PREPARATIONS TODAY FOR A MAJOR LAND-FALLING
HURRICANE ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA OR SOUTHWEST
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 TIDES ALONG THE ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST
FLORIDA COASTAL AREAS. ANY EVACUATION DECISIONS FOR COASTAL ALABAMA
AND FLORIDA ARE EXPECTED TO BE MADE SOON.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL SOMEWHERE NEAR SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AS A MAJOR HURRICANE. WHILE THE EXACT LOCATION OF LANDFALL
IS STILL UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME...A SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING
STORM TIDE IS EXPECTED TO BE FELT WELL EAST OF THE STORMS CENTER.

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK AND SPEED...A CATEGORY FOUR
LAND-FALLING HURRICANE WOULD BRING TIDE LEVELS AS HIGH AS 10 TO 15
FEET ALONG COASTAL MOBILE COUNTY AND THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF MOBILE
BAY...INCLUDING BAYOU LA BATRE AND DOWNTOWN MOBILE. 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.

IN COMPARISON...HURRICANE GEORGE IN 1988 BROUGHT WATER LEVELS UP TO
8.3 FEET TO BAYOU LA BATRE...AND 9 FEET TO DOWNTOWN MOBILE.

A STORM TIDE OF 6 TO 8 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG THE EXTREME NORTHWEST
FLORIDA COASTLINE. TIDAL WATERS WERE REPORTED WASHING OVER SANTA ROSA
ISLAND THIS MORNING.

A CATEGORY FIVE LAND-FALLING HURRICANE WOULD BRING TIDE LEVELS AS
HIGH AS 15 TO 20 FEET ALONG COASTAL MOBILE COUNTY AND THE WESTERN
PORTIONS OF MOBILE BAY...12 TO 14 FEET ALONG COASTAL BALDWIN
COUNTY...AND 10 TO 12 FEET 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 THIS MORNING...THEN
INCREASE THIS 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 TONIGHT...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...
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL OCCUR THROUGH MONDAY. SWIMMERS
SHOULD NOT ENTER THE WATER.

...RAINFALL...
SQUALLS AND HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE KATRINA WILL BEGIN
TO AFFECT THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. ONCE THESE ONSET...THEY WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY NIGHT WITH WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OF 5
TO 8 INCHES EXPECTED...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 10
INCHES POSSIBLE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA.

...NEW INFORMATION...
KATRINA IS NOW AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE WITH 160
MPH WINDS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THIS OFFICE
AROUND 1100 AM CDT.

$$

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