[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KBMX 290337
HLSBMX
ALZ011>015-017-022>025-030>035-039>044-290930-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1037 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA TO BRING HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS TO PARTS OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA...

...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES ALONG
AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 FROM 8 AM MONDAY TO 4 PM TUESDAY...

...A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES EAST OF INTERSTATE
65 FROM 1 PM MONDAY UNTIL 4 PM TUESDAY...

...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM FROM 4 PM MONDAY THROUGH 7 PM
CDT TUESDAY...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT PERTAINS TO ALL CENTRAL ALABAMA COUNTIES SERVICED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES ALONG
AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 FROM 8AM MONDAY TO 4 PM TUESDAY.

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES EAST OF INTERSTATE 65
FROM 1 PM MONDAY UNTIL 4 PM TUESDAY.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM FROM 4 PM MONDAY THROUGH 7 PM
CDT TUESDAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 PM CDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 27.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.4 WEST OR ABOUT 105 MILES
SOUTH OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ABOUT 170 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...AND A
TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE WILL BE VERY NEAR THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST EARLY MONDAY MORNING.  HOWEVER...CONDITIONS ARE
ALREADY DETERIORATING ALONG PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST...AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN THROUGH THE
NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA
IS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME
FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY PRIOR TO LANDFALL...AND KATRINA
IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AT EITHER CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE
INTENSITY.

KATRINA REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES. A WIND GUST TO 90 MPH WAS
RECENTLY REPORTED FROM SOUTHWEST PASS LOUISIANA.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 904 MB...26.70 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THEIR
NECESSARY PREPARATION PLANS. HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS CAN BE
EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA STARTING TOMORROW MORNING.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED TO INCREASE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA BEGINNING
EARLY MONDAY MORNING AND INCREASING THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE STRONGEST
WINDS WILL BE ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE HURRICANE TRACK WITH THOSE
AREAS ALONG THE ALABAMA MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE LIKELY TO BE SUSTAINED
AT 45 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...FROM LINDEN AND
DEMOPOLIS NORTHWARD TO FAYETTE AND HAMILTON. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS WILL EXTEND EASTWARD TO AREAS IN AND NEAR INTERSTATE 65...WHERE
WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. LOCATIONS EAST OF INTERSTATE
65 CAN EXPECT WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

WINDS AT THESE SPEEDS...IN COMBINATION OF SATURATED SOILS...CAN
TOPPLE NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES...CAUSING POWER OUTAGES.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 39 TO 73 MPH ARE
EXPECTED DUE TO A LANDFALLING HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM...WITHIN
THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 24 TO 39 MPH ARE EXPECTED.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF HURRICANE KATRINA...3 TO 6
INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 8 INCHES...IS
POSSIBLE WEST OF INTERSTATE 65...WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED EAST OF
INTERSTATE 65.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM FROM 4 PM MONDAY
THROUGH 7 PM CDT TUESDAY.

RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE PAST MONTH HAS LED TO
SATURATED GROUND CONDITIONS...AND ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF AND POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING.

WITH ABOVE NORMAL RIVER FLOW IN MANY LOCATIONS...HEAVY RAINFALL FROM
KATRINA WILL AGGRAVATE RIVER CONDITIONS.  RIVER FLOODING IS LIKELY TO
BECOME A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM BY TUESDAY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS
FLOODING WILL LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WATER
BEGINS RISING TO MAKE PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.
EVACUATIONS FROM LOWLANDS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE DUE TO DOWNED TREES AND
POWERLINES AND RAPIDLY RISING WATER. PREPARATIONS SHOULD HAVE
ALREADY BEEN BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETION BY THIS EVENING.

...TORNADO THREAT...
AS RAIN BANDS ROTATE NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA LATE TONIGHT
AND EARLY MONDAY...THEY WILL BRING THE THREAT OF ISOLATED
TORNADOES TO THE AREA.  THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL BE ENHANCED
DURING THE DAY MONDAY...WHEN DAYTIME HEATING WILL PROVIDE ADDED
INSTABILITY AND LIFT TO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE THREAT
OF ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL EXTEND WELL INTO MONDAY NIGHT...AND
POSSIBLY INTO EARLY TUESDAY.

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...
KATRINA IS NOW AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE WITH
WINDS NEAR 160 MPH.  SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY PRIOR
TO LANDFALL...AND KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AT EITHER
CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE INTENSITY.

THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SET UP A HOT LINE
FOR ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION IN SOUTH ALABAMA.  THE ACCESS NUMBER
IS 1-888-588-2848.

TO REPORT DOWN POWER LINES TO PLEASE CALL ALABAMA POWER AT 800-888-
2726.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...OR DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE KATRINA...CALL
OUR STORM REPORTING HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED AROUND 4 AM CDT.

&&

$$



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