[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 281845
HLSLCH
LAZ041>045-051>055-282145-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
145 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA
EASTWARD...

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

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS 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. 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 1 PM...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
26.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 275 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN
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 REMAIN NEAR 175 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
KATRINA REMAINS A POWERFUL 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 RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT WAS 906 MB...26.75 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. THE
POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR DAMAGING WINDS...HIGH STORM SURGE...AND VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL. HOWEVER AT THIS TIME...EVACUATION ORDERS ARE NOT IN
EFFECT FOR ANY PORTION OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...UPDATED
NO TORNADOES ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE IMPACTED AREA AT THIS TIME.

...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...UPDATED
ACROSS THE LOWER ATCHAFALAYA BASIN...NORTHEAST WINDS HAVE ALREADY
INCREASED TO 10 TO 20 MPH. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL FURTHER INCREASE TO
20 TO 30 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT...THEN 30 TO 40 MPH TOWARD SUNRISE ON
MONDAY. A FEW GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE
MORGAN CITY...STEPHENSVILLE...AMELIA AREA MONDAY MORNING...WHILE
TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF
THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN UP TO SIMMESPORT.

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

ON THE COASTAL WATERS NEAR VERMILION AND ATCHAFALAYA BAYS...
NORTHEAST WINDS WERE RUNNING 15 TO 20 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON.
SUSTAINED WINDS WILL INCREASE TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE...35 KNOTS...
BY LATE THIS EVENING. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 TO 55 KNOTS...WITH GUSTS
TO HURRICANE FORCE...WILL SPREAD OVER THE COASTAL WATERS NEAR THE
MOUTH OF THE ATCHAFALAYA DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON MONDAY.

ELSEWHERE ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO
25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. WIND SPEEDS
ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION WILL BE DECREASING BY MONDAY EVENING.

...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.

LESSER RAINFALL AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE BY 430 PM.

$$

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