[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KBMX 291513
HLSBMX
ALZ011>015-017-022>025-030>035-039>044-291730-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1000 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA TO BRING HIGH WINDS...HEAVY RAINS...
AND THREAT OF TORNADOES TO CENTRAL ALABAMA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT PERTAINS TO ALL CENTRAL ALABAMA COUNTIES SERVICED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES ALONG
AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 FROM 8 AM TODAY TO 4 PM TUESDAY.

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES EAST OF INTERSTATE 65
FROM 1 PM TODAY UNTIL 4 PM TUESDAY.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM FROM 4 PM TODAY THROUGH 7
PM TUESDAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 30.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES
EAST-NORTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. THIS IS ABOUT 290 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
MONTGOMERY...AND 350 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM. THE MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 927 MB...27.37 INCHES.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 16 MPH... AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY AND TONIGHT. ON THE FORECAST
TRACK...KATRINA WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN MISSISSIPPI TODAY AND
TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND UP TO 125 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND UP TO 230 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
A WIND GUST OF 80 MPH WAS REPORTED AT THE MOBILE AIRPORT BETWEEN 9
AM AND 10 AM CDT.


...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THEIR
NECESSARY PREPARATION PLANS.  THE OUTER RAIN BANDS HAVE STARTED TO
MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS WILL SPREAD
NORTHWARD INTO THE AREA THROUGH THE REST OF TODAY.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES ARE ANTICIPATED WITH THE CURRENT
FORECAST TRACK OF KATRINA...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN COUNTIES
OF SUMTER...GREENE...HALE...MARENGO...PICKENS...TUSCALOOSA...
FAYETTE...LAMAR...AND MARION. IF THE POWER OUTAGES LAST FOR ANY
DURATION AND A GENERATOR IS NECESSARY...PLEASE REMEMBER THAT
GENERATOR USE INDOORS CAN BE DEADLY DUE TO THE CARBON MONOXIDE GAS
PRODUCED. GENERATORS SHOULD NOT BE USED INDOORS...BUT IF NO
ALTERNATIVE EXISTS...USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OPERATING GENERATORS
INDOORS AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE VENTILATION FOR THE MACHINE.

SECURE ALL LOOSE OBJECTS...SUCH AS PATIO FURNITURE AND TRASH
CANS...OR MOVE THEM INDOORS. BRING YOUR PETS INDOORS. FLOODING...
ESPECIALLY FLASH FLOODING...WILL BE A PROBLEM DUE TO THE VERY
HEAVY RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH KATRINA. FLOODING CAN BE
ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT...WHERE WATER CAN QUICKLY FLOOD
ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...VISIBILITIES ARE
LIMITED IN THE DARK. DO NOT TRY TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS...TURN
AROUND...DON'T DROWN.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH THE DAY
TODAY...BEGINNING IN THE SOUTH AND SPREADING NORTHWARD.  THE
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST STRENGTH BETWEEN 6 PM
TODAY AND 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING.

THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE HURRICANE
TRACK...AFFECTING AREAS NEAR THE ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE
WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 TO 60 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO NEAR HURRICANE
FORCE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL EXTEND AS FAR EAST AS
INTERSTATE 65...WHERE WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH A
FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. LOCATIONS EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 CAN
EXPECT WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

WINDS AT THESE SPEEDS...IN COMBINATION OF SATURATED SOILS...CAN
TOPPLE NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES...CAUSING POWER OUTAGES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF HURRICANE KATRINA...3 TO 6
INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 8 INCHES...ARE
POSSIBLE WEST OF INTERSTATE 65...WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED EAST OF
INTERSTATE 65.

RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE PAST MONTH HAS LED TO
SATURATED GROUND CONDITIONS...AND ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF AND POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING.

WITH ABOVE NORMAL RIVER FLOW IN MANY LOCATIONS...HEAVY RAINFALL FROM
KATRINA WILL AGGRAVATE RIVER CONDITIONS.  RIVER FLOODING IS LIKELY TO
BECOME A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM BY TUESDAY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS
FLOODING WILL LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WATER
BEGINS RISING TO MAKE PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.
EVACUATIONS FROM LOWLANDS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE DUE TO DOWNED TREES AND
POWERLINES AND RAPIDLY RISING WATER. PREPARATIONS SHOULD HAVE
ALREADY BEEN BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETION.

...TORNADO THREAT...
AS RAIN BANDS ROTATE NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY...THEY
WILL BRING THE THREAT OF TORNADOES TO THE AREA.  THE THREAT FOR
TORNADOES WILL BE ENHANCED THIS AFTERNOON...WHEN DAYTIME HEATING WILL
PROVIDE ADDED INSTABILITY AND LIFT TO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE
THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL EXTEND INTO TONIGHT...AND POSSIBLY INTO
EARLY TUESDAY.

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...
THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SET UP A HOT LINE
FOR ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION IN SOUTH ALABAMA.  THE ACCESS NUMBER
IS 1-888-588-2848.  THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE
DEPARTMENT'S WEB SITE...AT HTTP://WWW.DOT.STATE.AL.US/.

TO REPORT DOWN POWER LINES TO PLEASE CALL ALABAMA POWER AT 800-888-
2726.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...OR DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE KATRINA...CALL
OUR STORM REPORTING HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON CDT.

&&

$$



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