[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 291759
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-292115-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
100 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...KATRINA BATTERS NEW ORLEANS...SOME LEVEES TOPPED...EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE IS OCCURRING...

...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 COASTS AT THIS TIME...INCLUDING
THE NEW ORLEANS AREA...

...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 AN
EXTREME SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT.

TORNADO WATCHES IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTH
MISSISSIPPI.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AROUND 1245 PM CDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS CENTERED OVER
AND WAS MOVING OUT OF NORTHERN PEARL RIVER COUNTY AND INTO SOUTHERN
LAMAR COUNTY NEAR INTERSTATE 55...AND WAS MOVING NORTH NEAR 21 MPH.
THIS MOTION WILL CONTINUE DURING THE AFTERNOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 105 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  KATRINA IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF HIGH RISE
BUILDINGS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR GROUND LEVEL.
WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS THE CENTER MOVES
OVER LAND.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 940 MB...27.76 INCHES.

...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...
AS KATRINA DEPARTS...COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG THE NORTHERN
AND NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE
LATER TODAY. HOWEVER...FOR THE NEW ORLEANS AREA...WATERS WILL NOT
SLOWLY SUBSIDE. WIDESPREAD FLOODING HAS OCCURRED. A STORM SURGE OF
10 TO 12 FEET HAS OCCURRED IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF LAKE
PONTCHARTRAIN AFFECTING THE EAST BANKS OF JEFFERSON...ST CHARLES
...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND LIVINGSTON PARISHES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO MOVE INLAND ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI. HURRICANE FORCE SUSTAINED WINDS WILL PERSISTS ACROSS
MUCH OF THE WARNED AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS
BETWEEN 100 AND 125 MPH ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON...THEN
GRADUALLY DIMINISH DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

...TORNADOES...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
COASTAL MISSISSIPPI DUE TO THE THREAT OF TORNADOES. TORNADOES ARE
LIKELY AROUND KATRINA'S EYEWALL.

...RAINFALL...
RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 10 INCHES HAVE ALREADY
OCCURRED OVER HARRISON COUNTY INTO STONE AND PEARL RIVER COUNTIES.
ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH
OF KATRINA...MAINLY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM BATON ROUGE TO
LUMBERTON. WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF MAJOR FLOODING HAVE BEEN REPORTED
ACROSS NEW ORLEANS. AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO THREEE INCHES OF RAINFALL
ARE POSSIBLE AS KATRINA DEPARTS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 330 PM CDT.

$$

MEDLIN/DARBE
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