[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 290725
HLSTAE

FLZ008-012-014-291030-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
306 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 2 AM CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 130 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 230 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DESTIN FLORIDA. KATRINA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 12 MPH...AND
THIS MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE
IN FORWARD SPEED. HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 155 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY PRIOR
TO LANDFALL. KATRINA REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE 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.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE TODAY AS LARGE SWELLS EMANATE FROM THE LARGE
AND POWERFUL 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 18 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
TODAY...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 2 AM CDT WINDS ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST WERE GENERALLY OUT OF
THE EAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH. THE WIND AT
THE PANAMA CITY GULF BUOY WAS SOUTHEAST AT 35 GUSTING TO 43 KNOTS. IT
IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE LIKELY THAT KATRINA WILL MAKE LANDFALL OVER
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA THIS MORNING. ON THIS TRACK MOST OF THE TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS WILL MISS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE...BUT SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE...
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 TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY IS EXPECTED TO
RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS OCCURRING FARTHER
WEST. WHILE WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED...LOCALIZED FLOODING
IS POSSIBLE IF HEAVY RAIN BANDS SET UP OVER A PARTICULAR LOCATION.

...TORNADO THREAT...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY...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 530 AM CDT.

$$

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