[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 291138
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-291400-

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

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE PREPARING TO MOVE ACROSS
EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...THEN HEADING TOWARD COASTAL
MISSISSIPPI...

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

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

...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 600 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST. THIS LOCATION WAS ABOUT 70
MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS OR ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHWEST OF BILOXI.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 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...
WITH THE ONSET 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 AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING
HURRICANE...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 ALONG LOW LYING AREAS SURROUNDING LAKE
PONTCHARTRAIN...WITH SEVERE INUNDATION LIKELY.

TIDES ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST.
SEVERE STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED DEVELOP THROUGH THE REMAINDER
OF THE MORNING...WITH HIGHEST VALUES ALONG THE LOUISIANA COAST EAST
OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...MISSISSIPPI COAST...AND ALONG THE SHORE
LINE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
KATRINA HAS EVOLVED INTO A LARGE HURRICANE WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
EXTENDING AROUND 100 MILES FROM THE CENTER. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE
OCCURRING OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SPREADING INTO COASTAL
MISSISSIPPI. POWER OUTAGES WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE
MORNING HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL PERSIST OVER MUCH OF THE
REGION THROUGH EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. WIND GUST OF 96 MPH WAS
RECORDED AT BELLE CHASE NAVAL AIR STATION.

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 830 AM CDT.

$$

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