[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 291345
HLSLCH

LAZ029-033-044-045-051>055-291530-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
844 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE KATRINA
POUNDING SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...

...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA
EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER...

...AREAS AFFECTED IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS IN CAMERON...VERMILION...
IBERIA...LAFAYETTE...SAINT MARTIN...SAINT MARY...AVOYELLES...AND
SAINT LANDRY PARISHES...

...WATCHES/WARNING...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SAINT MARY PARISH. A HURRICANE
WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INSIDE THE
WARNED AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD ALREADY BE COMPLETED.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM
WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA INCLUDING
VERMILION...ST MARY AND IBERIA PARISH. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS
THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INSIDE THE WARNED AREA
WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE INSIDE THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF INTRACOASTAL
CITY TO CAMERON LOUISIANA INCLUDING CAMERON PARISH. .

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM MONDAY
FOR AVOYELLES...SAINT LANDRY...SAINT MARTIN AND LAFAYETTE PARISHES.
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INLAND ACROSS THE WARNED AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR IBERIA...SAINT MARY...AND SAINT
MARTIN PARISHES. THREE TO FIVE INCHES OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THIS
AREA THROUGH MONDAY EVENING WHICH WILL CAUSE THE POSSIBILITY OF
FLOODING IN LOW-LYING AREAS.

...STORM INFORMATION...UPDATED
AT 8 AM...THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 95 MILES EAST OF
MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 15 MPH...AND A GRADUAL TURN
TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED
OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA
IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS THE CIRCULATION
INTERACTS WITH LAND TODAY.

KATRINA REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 125 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT WAS 923 MB...27.26 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD ALREADY BE PREPARED FOR
THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF A NEARBY LANDFALLING MAJOR HURRICANE. THE
POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR DAMAGING WINDS...HIGH STORM SURGE...AND VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL. HOWEVER AT THIS TIME...MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS
ARE NOT IN EFFECT FOR ANY PORTION OF SOUTHWEST OR SOUTH-CENTRAL
LOUISIANA.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE MAIN TORNADO THREAT WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.
HOWEVER...ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA THROUGH THIS MORNING.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT ONE FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE
COAST. A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IS POSSIBLE ALONG
THE COAST NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE ATCHAFALAYA RIVER. TIDAL SURGE WILL
DECREASE TO 1 TO 2 FEET NEAR SABINE AND CALCASIEU PASSES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
ACROSS THE LOWER ATCHAFALAYA BASIN...NORTHEAST WINDS HAVE ALREADY
INCREASED TO 30 TO 35 MPH IN GUSTS. SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 35 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE MORNING IN THE
MORGAN CITY...STEPHENSVILLE AND AMELIA AREA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS IN GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE
ATCHAFALAYA BASIN UP TO HENDERSON AND ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AS
FAR WEST AS CAMERON.

BASED ON THE EXPECTED WIND SPEEDS AND THE NUMEROUS TREES ACROSS THE
LOWER ATCHAFALAYA BASIN...RESIDENTS IN THESE REGIONS ARE URGED TO BE
CAREFUL OF FALLING TREES. REMEMBER...MOST OF THE DEATHS CAUSED BY
KATRINA AS IT CROSSED SOUTH FLORIDA WERE CAUSED BY FALLING TREES.

ON THE COASTAL WATERS NEAR VERMILION AND ATCHAFALAYA BAYS...
NORTHEAST WINDS WERE RUNNING 25 TO 35 KNOTS. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 TO
55 KNOTS...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL SPREAD OVER THE COASTAL WATERS
NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE ATCHAFALAYA AROUND SUNRISE THIS MORNING WITH
SEAS UP TO 15 FEET.

WIND SPEEDS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION WILL BE DECREASING BY THIS
EVENING.

...RAINFALL...
HEAVY RAINS FROM KATRINA WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE COASTAL PARISHES
OF SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA THIS MORNING. RAINFALL TOTALS FROM
2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAINT MARY AND
SAINT MARTIN PARISHES WHICH MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING...WHILE RAINFALL
TOTALS FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AROUND THE REST OF THE
VERMILION BAY REGION AND THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN.
THE HEAVY RAINS WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF THIS EVENING.

LESSER RAINFALL AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE BY 10:30 AM.

$$

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