[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 290418
HLSTAE

GMZ750-770-FLZ008-012-014-290730-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1207 AM EDT MON AUG 29 2005

...LARGE AND POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE KATRINA APPROACHING
THE NORTHERN GULF COAST...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE PANHANDLE COAST FROM
DESTIN EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...COASTAL
WALTON...BAY...AND GULF COUNTIES.

...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF DESTIN TO
INDIAN PASS IN GULF COUNTY FLORIDA. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 PM CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 27.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.4 WEST...OR ABOUT 170 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 265 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DESTIN FLORIDA. KATRINA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR
10 MPH...AND A TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 24
HOURS. HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS WERE 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 PRIOR TO LANDFALL. KATRINA IS ALSO A LARGE STORM WITH
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES.

...PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD NOW BE PREPARED FOR TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS...HAVING SECURED LOOSE ITEMS SUCH AS GARBAGE CANS
AND PATIO FURNITURE...AND TAKEN APPROPRIATE STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST
COASTAL FLOODING. LOW LYING AREAS WILL BE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO
COASTAL FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE THE PROTECTIVE DUNES
HAVE BEEN WASHED AWAY BY PREVIOUS STORMS. MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE
BEEN ORDERED FOR CAPE SAN BLAS IN GULF COUNTY...AND ST GEORGE AND
DOG ISLANDS...ALLIGATOR POINT...AND ALL LOW LYING AREAS SUBJECT TO
COASTAL FLOODING IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. OTHER AREAS MAY BE GIVEN
EVACUATION ORDERS. BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE IF ORDERED BY LOCAL
EMERGENCY OFFICIALS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY AS LARGE SWELLS EMANATE FROM
HURRICANE KATRINA. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN WALTON COUNTY RECENTLY
REPORTED WAVES IN THE SURF ZONE OF AROUND 10 FEET. THIS HAS CAUSED
MUCH OF THE REPLACEMENT SAND FOR HURRICANE DENNIS TO BE WASHED
AWAY...ALLOWING SOME WATER TO WASH UNDERNEATH SOME OF THE HOUSES.
HIGH SURF AT GULF COUNTY HAS WASHED ROCKS OVER SOME OF THE ROADS AT
CAPE SAN BLAS. REPORTS FROM THE NORTHEAST GULF BUOYS CONTINUE TO
SHOW HIGH SWELLS...WITH 13 FEET SWELLS FROM THE SOUTHWEST BEING
REPORTED AT THE BUOY 90 MILES SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY. THIS LARGE SWELL
WILL LIKELY RESULT IN HIGHER SURF ALONG THE COAST. THIS WAVE
ACTION...COUPLED WITH STRONG ONSHORE FLOW MAY PRODUCE TIDES OF 6 TO
8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...ESPECIALLY AT HIGH TIDE. THESE ABOVE NORMAL
TIDES AND HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND COASTAL
FLOODING THROUGH MONDAY...ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. THE
BEACHES OF WALTON COUNTY ARE CLOSED. THE FOLLOWING ARE TIMES OF HIGH
TIDE FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS...

APALACHICOLA...1037 AM MONDAY MORNING

SAINT ANDREWS BAY AT PANAMA CITY...618 AM CDT MONDAY.

EAST PASS AT DESTIN...648 AM CDT MONDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT 10 PM CDT WINDS ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST WERE GENERALLY OUT OF
THE EAST NEAR 15 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH IN SOME SOME OF
THE HEAVIER SHOWERS AT THE COAST. THE WIND AT THE PANAMA CITY GULF
BUOY WAS SOUTHEAST AT 33 GUSTING TO 43 KNOTS. IT IS BECOMING MORE AND
MORE LIKELY THAT KATRINA WILL MAKE LANDFALL OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
MONDAY MORNING. ON THIS TRACK MOST OF THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL MISS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE...BUT SOME SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE PANHANDLE COASTAL WATERS
AND NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WILL
BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST TONIGHT AND MONDAY...MAINLY IN SOME OF
THE HEAVIER RAIN BANDS. SUCH WINDS TYPICALLY CAUSE SEVERAL DOWNED
TREE BRANCHES...A FEW DOWNED POWER LINES AND POWER OUTAGES...TIPPED
OVER GARBAGE CANS AND PATIO FURNITURE...AND A FEW UPROOTED TREES.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL...
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL FROM TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY IS EXPECTED TO
RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS OCCURRING FARTHER
WEST. SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WHICH COULD CAUSE
FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

...TORNADO THREAT...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND MONDAY...BUT THE
GREATER THREAT WILL BE ACROSS THE WESTERN PANHANDLE.

...RIP CURRENTS...
THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS TONIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY. EVERYONE...INCLUDING EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS...SHOULD STAY OUT
OF THE SURF.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY AROUND 230 AM CDT.

$$

FOURNIER
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