[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 281548
HLSLCH
LAZ041>045-051>055-281830-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1045 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA
EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER...

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
FROM WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA...

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF
INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON LOUISIANA...

...AREAS AFFECTED IN SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS IN ACADIA...CALCASIEU...
CAMERON...IBERIA...JEFFERSON DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...SAINT MARTIN...
SAINT MARY...VERMILION PARISHES...

...WATCHES/WARNING...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA EASTWARD
TO THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INSIDE THE WARNED AREA WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE
RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM
WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INSIDE THE
WARNED AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE INSIDE THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY
TO CAMERON LOUISIANA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INSIDE THE WARNED AREA WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...UPDATED
AT 10 AM...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
26.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.1 WEST...OR ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. A GRADUAL
TURN MORE TO THE NORTHWEST...AND THEN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS
EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF
KATRINA WILL MOVE ASHORE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA ON MONDAY
MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 175 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
KATRINA REMAINS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 75 MILES TO THE
NORTHWEST OF THE CENTER...WHILE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE CENTER.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 903 MB...26.81 INCHES. UNOFFICIALLY...
KATRINA IS NOW THE FOURTH STRONGEST HURRICANE (BASED ON LOWEST
PRESSURE) IN ATLANTIC BASIN HISTORY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE
POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF A NEARBY LANDFALLING MAJOR HURRICANE. THERE IS
THE POSSIBILITY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...HIGH STORM SURGE...AND VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL. HOWEVER AT THIS TIME...EVACUATION ORDERS ARE NOT IN
EFFECT IN ANY PORTION OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE BEGINNING LATE SUNDAY EVENING
ACROSS THE LOWER ATCHAFALAYA BASIN.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT ONE-HALF TO THREE-QUARTERS FOOT
ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE COAST. KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL
JUST EAST OF GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA. DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TRACK...A
STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST
NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE ATCHAFALAYA RIVER. TIDAL SURGE WILL DECREASE
TO 1 TO 2 FEET NEAR SABINE AND CALCASIEU PASSES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
ACROSS THE VERMILION BAY REGION...NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO
10 TO 15 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL FURTHER INCREASE TO 20 TO 30
MPH THIS EVENING...THEN 30 TO 50 MPH DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE EAST OF MORGAN CITY ON MONDAY
MORNING, WHILE TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE REMAINDER OF THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN...AND NEAR THE COAST FROM THE
MOUTH OF THE ATCHAFALAYA TO CAMERON. WIND SPEEDS WILL DECREASE BELOW
TROPICAL STORM FORCE BY MONDAY EVENING.

BASED ON THE EXPECTED WIND SPEEDS AND THE NUMEROUS TREES FOUND
ACROSS THE LOWER ATCHAFALAYA BASIN...RESIDENTS IN THIS REGION ARE
URGED TO BE CAREFUL OF FALLEN TREES. REMEMBER...MOST OF THE DEATHS
CAUSED BY KATRINA AS IT CROSSED SOUTH FLORIDA WERE CAUSED BY FALLEN
TREES.

ELSEWHERE ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO
25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH BY MONDAY AFTERNOON.

...RAINFALL...
HEAVY RAINS FROM KATRINA WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE COASTAL PARISHES
OF SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA LATE THIS EVENING. RAINFALL TOTALS FROM
3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAINT MARY AND
SAINT MARTIN PARISHES...WHILE RAINFALL TOTALS FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE AROUND THE REST OF THE VERMILION BAY REGION AND THE UPPER
PORTIONS OF THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN. THE HEAVY RAINS WILL BEGIN TO
TAPER OFF MONDAY EVENING.


...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY 130 PM.

$$

ESCUDE

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