[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 290949
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-291200-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
445 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

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

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

...WIND GUSTS OVER 100 MPH AT GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA...

...EXTENSIVE AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING EXPECTED ALONG
THE LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI COAST THIS MORNING...

...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 FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
EXTREME SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 12 PM CDT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 400 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS...AND ABOUT 120 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF
BILOXI. KATRINA IS MOVING NORTH AT NEAR 15 MPH.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE KATRINA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR
SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY AS THE
HURRICANE APPROACHES THE COAST. KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE
LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGERS. WITH THE APPROACH OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND
HEAVY SQUALLS...PEOPLE ARE URGED TO SEEK REFUGE OF LAST RESORT IN
STRONG...WELL CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS. IF LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE
FLOODING DEVELOPS...MOVE TO HIGHER FLOORS OR HOUSE ATTICS. BRING
TOOLS TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY EXIT SHOULD THESE HIGHER FLOORS OR ATTICS
BECOME INUNDATED.

...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 LOCATION 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. SEVERE TIDAL FLOODING...WILL
ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE TIDAL LAKES OF PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS
INUNDATING LOW LYING AREAS SURROUNDING THE LAKES.

TIDES ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST...
FIVE TO SEVEN FEET ABOVE NORMAL. SEVERE STORM SURGE FLOODING IS
EXPECTED DEVELOP THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING ALONG THE
COAST AND TIDAL LAKES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
KATRINA HAS EVOLVED INTO A LARGE HURRICANE WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
EXTENDING AROUND 100 MILES FROM THE CENTER.  TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING OVER MUCH OF THE COASTAL AREA.  HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS ARE SPREADING INTO COASTAL SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AT THIS
TIME AND WILL MOVE INTO NEW ORLEANS AREA AND MISSISSIPPI COAST IN
THE NEXT FEW HOURS. POWER OUTAGES WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP AND
BECOME WIDESPREAD. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL PERSIST OVER MUCH OF
THE REGION THROUGH EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. AROUND 400 AM THIS MORNING
WIND GUSTS AROUND 102 MPH AT GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA.

WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH CATEGORY 4 HURRICANES CAN TOTALLY DESTROY
MOBILE HOMES AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED DWELLINGS...AND CAN 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 DUE TO THE THREAT OF TORNADOES.

...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 630 AM CDT.

$$
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