[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KMOB 290626
HLSMOB
ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-290900-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
125 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO
APPROACH THE NORTHERN GULF COAST...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS
IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...ESCAMBIA...COVINGTON...WASHINGTON...CONECUH...
MONROE...BUTLER...CLARKE...CRENSHAW...WILCOX...CHOCTAW...BALDWIN AND
MOBILE COUNTIES.

IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...GEORGE...STONE...PERRY...GREENE AND WAYNE
COUNTIES.

IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA...OKALOOSA...ESCAMBIA AND SANTA ROSA COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL MOBILE AND BALDWIN
COUNTIES.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND MOBILE...
BALDWIN...CHOCTAW AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...AND
STONE...GEORGE...PERRY...GREENE AND WAYNE COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR
COASTAL ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST
FLORIDA.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND ESCAMBIA...
SANTA ROSA AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA...AND FOR
ESCAMBIA...COVINGTON...CONECUH...MONROE...BUTLER...CLARKE...CRENSHAW
AND WILCOX COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. PLEASE
SEE THE BHMNPWMOB PRODUCT FOR DETAILS RELATED TO THE INLAND AREAS.

A TORNADO AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 115 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.5 WEST OR ABOUT 170 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF DAUPHIN ISLAND.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 13 MPH.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 908 MB...26.81 INCHES.
KATRINA IS A CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-
SIMPSON SCALE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE COMPLETED.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL SOMEWHERE NEAR EXTREME SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AS A MAJOR HURRICANE...LIKELY AS AT LEAST A CATEGORY FOUR
AND POSSIBLY A CATEGORY FIVE. A SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING
STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED TO BE FELT WELL EAST OF THE STORM CENTER
ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA COASTLINES.

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK AND SPEED...A STRONG CATEGORY
FOUR OR MINIMUM CATEGORY FIVE LAND-FALLING HURRICANE WOULD BRING TIDE
LEVELS AS HIGH AS 10 TO 15 FEET ALONG COASTAL MOBILE COUNTY AND THE
WESTERN PORTIONS OF MOBILE BAY. TIDE LEVELS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD
SEVERALLY AFFECT DOWNTOWN MOBILE WITH WATER SPILLING INTO THE
DOWNTOWN AREA AND EXTENDING AS FAR WEST AS BROAD STREET. IN
ADDITION...DAUPHIN ISLAND WOULD LIKELY BE INUNDATED...EXCEPT FOR
HIGHER GROUND ON THE EAST END.

A STORM TIDE OF 10 TO 12 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG COASTAL BALDWIN
COUNTY...COMPARABLE TO HURRICANE IVAN OF LAST YEAR. SIGNIFICANT
INUNDATION IS LIKELY ALONG THE BEACHES OF GULF SHORES AND ORANGE
BEACH. PARTS OF THE FORT MORGAN PENINSULA WILL LIKELY BE INUNDATED AS
WELL.

TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA COAST WILL RANGE FROM NEAR
8 FEET IN THE PENSACOLA AREA TO AROUND 5 FEET IN THE DESTIN AREA.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...40 MPH OR GREATER...WILL CONTINUE
TO SPREAD INLAND ACROSS MISSISSIPPI AND THE ALABAMA AND FLORIDA
COASTAL AREAS THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...75
MPH OR GREATER...ARE LIKELY ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA COASTS
BY MID MONDAY MORNING...THEN SPREADING FURTHER INLAND ACROSS
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO NEAR HURRICANE
STRENGTH OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST ALABAMA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH ACROSS
THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THE MONDAY MID TO LATE EVENING HOURS.

...RIP CURRENTS...
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING SINCE LAST
EVENING. SWIMMERS SHOULD NOT ENTER THE WATER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

...RAINFALL...
SQUALLS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE KATRINA WILL LIKELY CONTINUE
THROUGH TONIGHT WITH WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES EXPECTED...
WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THE HIGHER
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY BE FELT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...OR THOSE AREAS CLOSER TO
THE CENTER OF THE STORM AS IT PUSHES INLAND.

...NEW INFORMATION...
RADAR FIX ON THE EYE INDICATES KATRINA IS NOW MOVING ALMOST DUE
NORTH. ONE OR TWO HOURLY SHORT TERM FORECASTS (BHMNOWMOB) WILL BE
ISSUED TO DESCRIBING MORE DETAILED STORM RELATED INFORMATION.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THIS OFFICE
AROUND 300 AM CDT.

$$

PURDY

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