[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTAE 291752
HLSTAE

GMZ750-FLZ008-012-014-015-018-027-028-034-292130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
144 PM 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.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT (7 PM CDT) FOR ALL OF
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...ALL
OF THE BIG BEND EXCEPT TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES AND THE WEST HALF OF
SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT NOON CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 30.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 40 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF HATTIESBURG MISSISSIPPI. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT
225 MILES NORTHWEST OF DESTIN FLORIDA. KATRINA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTH NEAR 17 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH
TONIGHT. HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO 125 MPH...
...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. STILL...IT REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE
WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 125 MILES.

...PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
EVEN THOUGH KATRINA WAS MOVING AWAY FROM FLORIDA...RESIDENTS IN THE
WARNED AREA SHOULD CONTINUE VIGILANT TO 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 ALLIGATOR POINT IN
FRANKLIN COUNTY...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 36 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 50 KTS
WITHIN THE LAST 30 MINUTES... THE BRIDGE AT ROAD 331 REMAINS CLOSED.
THE PANAMA CITY BEACH PATROL IN BAY COUNTY REPORTED WATERS HAVE
ENCROACHED INLAND WITH 10 TO 12 FOOT SURF CAUSING MAJOR BEACH
EROSION. IN GULF COUNTY... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INDICATED THAT A
SMALL ROAD AT STUMP HOLE WAS BREACHED BY WATER AND REMAINS CLOSED.
ST JOES ST PARK REMAINS CLOSED DUE TO WATER. REPORTS FROM THE
NORTHEAST GULF BUOYS CONTINUE TO SHOW HIGH SWELLS...WITH 25 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 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...BUT SHOULD DECREASE
AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO LOW TIDE THIS EVENING. THESE ABOVE NORMAL TIDES
AND HIGH SURF WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND COASTAL
FLOODING. MOST BEACHES IN THE WARNING AREA REMAIN CLOSED. THE
FOLLOWING ARE TIMES OF HIGH AND LOW TIDE TODAY 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 NOON CDT WINDS ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST WERE GENERALLY OUT OF
THE SOUTH AT 25 TO 35 KTS...WITH GUSTS OF 55 KTS WITH A STRONG WEST
TO EAST GRADIENT. SOME SITES INCLUDE...PENSACOLA NAVAL STATION 34
KTS GUSTS 50KTS...DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA 32 KTS GUSTS 52 KTS...DESTIN 28
KTS GUSTS 40 KTS...PANAMA CITY 23 KTS GUSTS 32 KTS...AND
APALACHICOLA 24 KTS GUST 28 KTS. WINDS OFFSHORE INCLUDE...THE PANAMA
CITY BUOY 31 KTS WITH GUSTS 39 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 THIS
AFTERNOON...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 BEGIN TO SUBSIDE BY MID AFTERNOON AS KATRINA FURTHER
ACCELERATES INLAND AND WEAKENS.

...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL...
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING IS EXPECTED TO RANGE
FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES IN LOCALIZED AREAS ACROSS THE TALLAHASSEE COUNTY
WARNING AREA AS FEEDER BANDS SPREAD EASTWARD. HIGHER AMOUNTS RANGING
FROM 4 TO 6 INCHES IS EXPECTED IN LOCALIZED AREAS ACROSS THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND EXTREME WESTERN GEORGIA DUE TO
REPETITIVE RAINFALL FROM FEEDER BANDS MOVING IN FROM THE GULF OF
MEXICO. LOCALIZED RAPID FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ON SMALL
CREEKS...STREAMS AND URBAN AREAS IF HEAVY RAIN BANDS SET UP OVER A
PARTICULAR LOCATION. INTERESTS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD MONITOR
CONDITIONS AND PREPARE TO TAKE QUICK ACTION AS WARRANTED.  IF ROADS
ARE FLOODED...TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN.

...TORNADO THREAT...
SEVERAL TORNADOS WARNINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST
ALABAMA. ADDITIONAL TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING 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 530 PM EDT (330 PM CDT).

24-BLOCK
$$

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