[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 291554
HLSTAE

GMZ750-FLZ008-012-014-015-018-027-028-034-291930-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
1150 AM EDT MON AUG 29 2005

...CENTER OF POWERFUL HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING ONSHORE AND CONTINUES
POUNDING SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE PANHANDLE COAST FROM
DESTIN EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...COASTAL
WALTON...BAY...AND GULF COUNTIES.

...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF DESTIN TO
INDIAN PASS IN GULF COUNTY FLORIDA. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

...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 OR 45 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF BILOXI.
THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 200 MILES WEST OF DESTIN FLORIDA. KATRINA WAS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 16 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS FORECAST TO
CONTINUE TODAY. HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. KATRINA REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE WITH
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES.

...PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD NOW BE PREPARED FOR TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS...HAVING SECURED LOOSE ITEMS SUCH AS GARBAGE CANS
AND PATIO FURNITURE...AND TAKEN APPROPRIATE STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST
COASTAL FLOODING. LOW LYING AREAS WILL BE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO
COASTAL FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE THE PROTECTIVE DUNES
HAVE BEEN WASHED AWAY BY PREVIOUS STORMS. MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE
BEEN ORDERED FOR CAPE SAN BLAS IN GULF COUNTY...AND DOG ISLANDS
...ALLIGATOR POINT...AND ALL LOW LYING AREAS SUBJECT TO COASTAL
FLOODING IN FRANKLIN COUNTY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AS LARGE SWELLS EMANATE FROM
THE LARGE AND POWERFUL KATRINA. WITHIN THE LAST HOUR...EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT IN WALTON COUNTY REPORTED SURGES UP TO THE EDGE OF THE
ROADWAY ON HIGHWAY 98 WITH WINDS OF 48 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 68 KTS
WHICH CLOSED AT THE BRIDGE AT ROAD 331. THE PANAMA CITY BEACH PATROL
IN BAY COUNTY REPORTED WATERS HAVE ENCROACHED INLAND UP TO 20 FEET
FROM SHORE CAUSING MAJOR BEACH EROSION. IN GULF COUNTY...EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT INDICATED THAT A SMALL ROAD AT STUMP HOLE WAS BREACHED BY
WATER AND IS CLOSED. ST JOES PENINSULA IS RUNNING 8-10 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL...INDIAN PASS 4-5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL AND ST JOES BAY 3-4 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL. REPORTS FROM THE NORTHEAST GULF BUOYS CONTINUE TO SHOW
HIGH SWELLS...WITH 23 FEET SWELLS FROM THE SOUTH BEING REPORTED AT
THE BUOY 90 MILES SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY. THESE LARGE SWELLS WILL
LIKELY RESULT IN HIGHER SURF ALONG THE COAST. THIS WAVE
ACTION...COUPLED WITH STRONG ONSHORE FLOW MAY PRODUCE TIDES OF 6 TO
8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...ESPECIALLY AT HIGH TIDE DURING THIS MORNING.
THESE ABOVE NORMAL TIDES AND HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE BEACH
EROSION AND COASTAL FLOODING TODAY...ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME OF HIGH
TIDE. THE BEACHES OF WALTON COUNTY ARE CLOSED. THE FOLLOWING ARE
TIMES OF HIGH AND LOW TIDE FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS...

APALACHICOLA...HIGH 1037 AM MONDAY MORNING...LOW 831 PM MONDAY
EVENING

SAINT ANDREWS BAY AT PANAMA CITY...HIGH 618 AM CDT MONDAY...LOW 556
PM CDT MONDAY EVENING

EAST PASS AT DESTIN...HIGH 648 AM CDT MON MORN...LOW 827 PM CDT EVE

ST MARKS...HIGH 1034 AM MONDAY MORNING...LOW 646 PM MONDAY EVENING

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT 10 AM CDT WINDS ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST WERE GENERALLY OUT OF
THE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 40 KTS...WITH GUSTS OF 60 KTS WITH A
STRONG WEST TO EAST GRADIENT. SOME SITES INCLUDE...PENSACOLA NAVAL
STATION 43 KTS GUSTS 56KTS...DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA 35 KTS GUSTS 46
KTS...DESTIN 30 KTS GUSTS 40 KTS...PANAMA CITY 24 KTS GUSTS 36 KTS
...EGLIN AFB 30 KTS GUSTS 44 KTS...AND APALACHICOLA 25 KTS GUST 31
KTS. WINDS OFFSHORE INCLUDE...THE PANAMA CITY BUOY 33 KTS WITH GUSTS
41 KTS. EVEN THOUGH KATRINA WAS MOVING INLAND OVER COASTAL SECTIONS
OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AT THIS TIME...
SUSTAINED WINDS AT OR ABOVE 40 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL BE
POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND POSSIBLE
THE WESTERN BIG BEND LATER TODAY...MAINLY IN SOME OF THE HEAVIER
RAIN BANDS NEAR THE COAST. SUCH WINDS TYPICALLY CAUSE SEVERAL DOWNED
TREE BRANCHES...A FEW DOWNED POWER LINES AND POWER OUTAGES...TIPPED
OVER GARBAGE CANS AND PATIO FURNITURE...AND A FEW UPROOTED TREES.
THESE WINDS WILL PROBABLY PEAK BY LATE MORNING... THEN SUBSIDE BY
LATE AFTERNOON AS KATRINA ACCELERATES INLAND AND WEAKENS.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL...
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL FROM TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY IS EXPECTED TO
RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS OCCURRING FARTHER
WEST. WHILE WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED...LOCALIZED FLOODING
IS POSSIBLE IF HEAVY RAIN BANDS SET UP OVER A PARTICULAR LOCATION.

...TORNADO THREAT...
SEVERAL TORNADOS WARNINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST
ALABAMA. ADDITIONAL TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY...
ESPECIALLY INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE AND
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA.

...RIP CURRENTS...
ALONG WITH THE HIGH SURF THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS TODAY. EVERYONE...INCLUDING EXPERIENCED SWIMMERS...SHOULD
STAY OUT OF THE SURF.

THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 330 PM EDT (230 PM CDT).

24-BLOCK
$$
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