[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 282242
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-290100-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
545 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...DIRECT STRIKE OF POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE THREATENING
HURRICANE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY...

...RUSH PROTECTIVE MEASURES TO COMPLETION...

...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND COASTAL
MISSISSIPPI FROM MORGAN CITY EAST TO THE ALABAMA FLORIDA BORDER....

...SQUALLS SPREADING OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA WITH CONDITIONS
DETERIORATING THIS EVENING...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...THE FOLLOWING PARISHES

ASSUMPTION...ST JAMES...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST...ST CHARLES...
ST BERNARD...TERREBONNE...ORLEANS...JEFFERSON...PLAQUEMINE...
LAFOURCHE...ST TAMMANY...TANGIPAHOA...LIVINGSTON.

IN COASTAL MISSISSIPPI...THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
HANCOCK...HARRISON...JACKSON

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF MORGAN CITY EAST TO THE
ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER AREA. THIS INCLUDES THE METRO NEW ORLEANS
AREA...AND THE MISSISSIPPI COAST.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR AREAS AWAY FROM THE
COAST.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 200 AM MONDAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 400 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.0 WEST OR ABOUT 150 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 165 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE KATRINA IS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR
SIMPSON SCALE. SOME MINOR FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HOWEVER...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO
MAKE LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE HURRICANE PACKING SUSTAINED
160 MPH WINDS. HURRICANE KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST
NEAR 12 MPH AND A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED
LATER TODAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. FOLLOW LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGERS
RECOMMENDATIONS AND LEAVE HURRICANE WARNING AREA IF POSSIBLE BEFORE
WEATHER CONDITIONS WORSEN.

MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS ARE IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA PARISHES AND COASTAL MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES. SOME
PARISHES AND COUNTIES HAVE OPENED SHELTER OF LAST RESORT. RESIDENTS
SHOULD FOLLOW EVACUATION RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS AND
LOCATIONS OF SHELTER OF LAST RESORT.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF OF
MEXICO COAST AS A CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE THREATENING HURRICANE. WHILE
EXACT LANDFALL OF LANDFALL IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME...SIGNIFICANT
AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE 18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. A FEW
AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE STORM SURGE FLOODING AS HIGH AS 28 FEET ALONG
WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF
WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. SECONDARY ROADS OUTSIDE LEVEE
PROTECTION WILL LIKELY BECOME IMPASSABLE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

...WIND IMPACTS...
EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND OF 25 TO 35 MPH SHOULD CONTINUE OVER
THE COASTAL AREA THIS EVENING AND SPREAD INLAND. KATRINA HAS EVOLVED
INTO A LARGE HURRICANE WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING AROUND
100 MILES FROM THE CENTER.  HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL SPREAD INTO
COASTAL SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT AND INTO
MUCH OF THE REMAINDER AREA BY 400 AM CDT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL
PERSIST OVER MUCH OF THE REGION THROUGH EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON.

KATRINA IS FORECAST TO MOVE ASHORE AS CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE...
SIMILAR IN STRENGTH TO HURRICANE CAMILLE IN 1969. WINDS ASSOCIATED
CATEGORY 4 AND CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE CAN TOTALLY DESTROY MOBILE
HOMES AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED DWELLINGS...AND CAUSE MAJOR
DAMAGE TO EVEN WELL CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS. HIGHER WIND SPEEDS WILL
BE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER ON UPPER FLOORS OF TALL BUILDINGS CAUSING
DAMAGE.

...TORNADOES...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
AND COASTAL MISSISSIPPI FOR THIS EVENING DUE TO THE THREAT OF
TORNADOES. THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE
NIGHT ACROSS THE AREA.

...RAINFALL...
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
15 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 800 PM CDT.

$$

This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net