[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KMOB 291210
HLSMOB
ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-291430-

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

...KATRINA MAKING LANDFALL...STORM SURGE AND WINDS RISING RAPIDLY...

...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...INLAND
BALDWIN...WASHINGTON...CLARKE AND CHOCTAW 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 ARE IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 700 AM CDT...MOBILE ALABAMA RADAR ESTIMATED THE CENTER OF
HURRICANE KATRINA TO BE ABOUT 90 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE WEST END OF
DAUPHIN ISLAND...AND IS MOVING NORTH NEAR 16 MPH. THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER SPEED LATER TODAY AND
TONIGHT AS THE CENTER OF KATRINA MOVES NORTHWARD THROUGH MISSISSIPPI.

CONDITIONS ARE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING ALONG THE ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST
FLORIDA COASTS...WITH WINDS GUSTING BETWEEN 80 AND 90 MPH OFF THE
ALABAMA COAST...AND TO NEAR 70 MPH OFF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.  STORM
TIDES HAVE RISEN TO NEAR 9 FEET ALONG THE WESTERN ALABAMA
COAST...AND TO NEAR 5 FEET ALONG THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.  TIDE LEVELS
WILL CONTINUE TO RISE SEVERAL MORE FEET OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS  918 MB...27.11 INCHES.
KATRINA IS A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR 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 HAS BEGUN TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA COAST NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A
SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED TO BE FELT
WELL EAST OF THE STORM CENTER ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA
COASTLINES.

TIDE LEVELS AS HIGH AS 10 TO 15 FEET WILL BE POSSIBLE 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.

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...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...75 MPH OR GREATER...WILL CONTINUE SPREADING
OVER MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO NEAR 100 MPH NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE.
POWER OUTAGES WILL PROBABLY BE WIDESPREAD OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST ALABAMA DURING THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON
HOURS.  SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IS ALSO LIKELY.



...RIP CURRENTS...
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ARE OCCURRING. 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.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THIS OFFICE
AROUND 10 AM CDT.

$$

MCKEE


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