[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLCH 291948
HLSLCH
LAZ029-033-044-045-051>055-292030-

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

...HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO SLOWLY WEAKEN AS IT MOVES FURTHER
INLAND...

...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...SAINT MARTIN...SAINT MARY...AVOYELLES...AND SAINT LANDRY
PARISHES...

...WATCHES/WARNING...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SAINT MARY PARISH. .

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF MORGAN CITY
TO CAMERON LOUISIANA INCLUDING VERMILION...IBERIA AND CAMERON PARISH.

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

THE FLOOD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT TODAY FOR IBERIA...SAINT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 TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE RAIN WILL CONTINUE OVER
AVOYELLES...ST.LANDRY...ST. MARTIN...AND IBERIA PARISH BUT RAINFALL
AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS THAN ONE INCH.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2PM...THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 20 MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST HATTIESBURG MISSISSIPPI.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 18 MPH.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 95 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA
IS NOW A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE. FURTHER WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS
THE CIRCULATION INTERACTS WITH LAND THIS AFTERNOON.

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 955 MB...28.20 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY IMPROVE THIS AFTERNOON AS
HURRICANE KATRINA MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA. WIND GUSTS TO TROPICAL
STORM FORCE ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. PERSONS EAST OF I-
49 SHOULD REMAIN INSIDE THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL THE STRONG WINDS SUBSIDE.

...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. THESE WINDS WILL DECREASE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE STORM
MOVES FURTHER INLAND.

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 20 TO 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS.
THESE WINDS SHOULD SLOWLY SUBSIDE THIS AFTERNOON AS KATRINA MOVES
AWAY FROM THE AREA.

...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 2:30 PM.

$$

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