[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 291009
HLSTAE

GMZ750-770-FLZ008-012-014-291430-

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

...LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA ABOUT TO MAKE
LANDFALL OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANAN...
...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 4 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. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 210 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST
OF DESTIN FLORIDA. KATRINA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 15 MPH...
AND THIS MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. HIGHEST SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE NEAR 150 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...AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT FROM BAY COUNTY ESTIMATED THE SURF AT 8 TO 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 IN WALTON COUNTY. 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 17 FEET SWELLS FROM
THE SOUTH 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
THIS MORNING. 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 4 AM CDT WINDS ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST WERE GENERALLY OUT OF
THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH. THE WIND
AT THE PANAMA CITY GULF BUOY WAS SOUTHEAST AT 37 GUSTING TO 47 KNOTS.
EVEN THOUGH KATRINA WILL MAKE LANDFALL OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA THIS
MORNING...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL
STILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE
TODAY...MAINLY IN SOME OF THE HEAVIER RAIN BANDS NEAR THE COAST. 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. THESE WINDS WILL PROBABLY PEAK
BY LATE MORNING...THEN SUBSIDE BY LATE AFTERNOON AS KATRINA
ACCELERATES INLAND AND WEAKENS.

...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...
SO FAR NO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ACROSS THE EASTERN
PANHANDLE. HOWEVER...ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY...
ESPECIALLY LATER THIS MORNING IF THERE ARE BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS AND
HEATING OCCURS.

...RIP CURRENTS...
ALONG WITH THE HIGH SURF THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS TODAY. 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 930 AM CDT.

$$

FOURNIER


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