[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 291631
HLSLCH
LAZ029-033-044-045-051>055-291830-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1130 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA IS NOW MOVING ONSHORE NEAR THE LOUISIANA AND
MISSISSIPPI BORDER AS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE...

...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. PREPARATIONS
TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD ALREADY BE COMPLETED.

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

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM MONDAY
FOR AVOYELLES...SAINT LANDRY...AND SAINT MARTIN 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.

THE FLOOD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT TODAY FOR IBERIA...SAINT
MARY...AND SAINT MARTIN PARISHES. HEAVY RAINS HAVE MOVED OUT OF
THE AREA. LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE OVER AVOYELLES...ST.LANDRY...
ST. MARTIN...AND IBERIA PARISH BUT RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS
THAN ONE INCH.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 AM...THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 30.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST...OR NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE
PEARL RIVER OR ABOUT 35 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS
LOUISIANA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 16 MPH.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA
IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE. FURTHER 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 927 MB...27.37 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...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.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING ABOUT ONE TO 1.5 FEET BELOW NORMAL IN
ST. MARY PARISH. OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA TIDES ARE RUNNING
AROUND 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL. TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO RETURN TO NEAR
NORMAL TONIGHT AND TUESDAY..

...WIND IMPACTS...
WIND GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE POSSIBLE INTO THIS
AFTERNOON ACROSS ALL OF THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN WEST TO CAMERON
LOUISIANA.

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 WITH GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS.
THESE WINDS SHOULD SLOWLY SUBSIDE THIS AFTERNOON AS KATRINA MOVES
AWAY FROM THE AREA.

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

...RAINFALL...
RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE LESS THAN ONE INCH THIS AFTERNOON AS
KATRINA MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA. FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE BY 2:00 PM.


$$

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