[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 291359
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-291600-

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

...HURRICANE KATRINA DIRECT HIT FOR NEW ORLEANS AND MISSISSIPPI
COAST...

...LEVEES OVERTOPPED IN ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES...

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE MOVING ACROSS NEW ORLEANS AND
MISSISSIPPI COAST...

...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
OCCURRING ALONG THE LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI COAST AT THIS TIME.

...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 800 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST. THIS LOCATION WAS ABOUT
EASTERN ST BERNARD AND ORLEANS PARISHES.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE KATRINA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR
SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
WITH THE ONSET OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY SQUALLS...PEOPLE
SHOULD REMAIN IN LAST RESORT REFUGES 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 MAKING LANDFALL IN EASTERN NEW ORLEANS AND
MISSISSIPPI COAST AREA THIS MORNING. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE
THREATENING HURRICANE...SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE
18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IS OCCURRING.  LEVEES HAVE BEEN OVERTOPPED
IN ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES. IN ADDITION DANGEROUS BATTERING
WAVES ARE OCCURRING ON TOP OF THE STORM SURGE NEAR THE COAST.
SEVERE TIDAL FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN THESE AREAS. IN ADDITION...
SEVERE STORM SURGE FLOODING IS PROBABLY OCCURRING IN SOUTHEAST ST
TAMMANY PARISH AND IN HANCOCK...HARRISON AND JACKSON COUNTIES IN
COASTAL MISSISSIPPI.


IN ADDITION...A STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 12 FEET WILL BE OCCURRING IN
THE SOUTHWEST PART OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AFFECTING THE EAST BANKS OF
JEFFERSON...ST CHARLES...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND LIVINGSTON
PARISHES.

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 100 MPH WAS
REPORTED BY THE GULFPORT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.  BELLE CHASSE
NAVAL AIR STATION HAD A WIND GUST OF 105 EARLIER THIS MORNING.


WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG CATEGORY 3 HURRICANES CAN TOTALLY
DESTROY MOBILE HOMES AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED DWELLINGS...AND 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 1030 AM CDT.

$$

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