[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KBMX 292209
HLSBMX
ALZ011>015-017-022>027-030>036-039>044-049-300015-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
500 PM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA IS WEAKENING...BUT HEAVY RAIN...STRONG
WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES STILL A THREAT TO CENTRAL ALABAMA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT PERTAINS TO ALL CENTRAL ALABAMA COUNTIES SERVICED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES JUST
EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 FROM ONEONTA...TO ROCKFORD...TO TROY...AND
WEST...TO THE MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA STATE LINE UNTIL 10 AM TUESDAY.

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES EAST OF INTERSTATE 65...
EAST OF ONEONTA...TO ROCKFORD...TO TROY...AND EAST...TO THE ALABAMA
GEORGIA STATE LINE UNTIL 10 AM TUESDAY.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 7 PM.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES IN CENTRAL THROUGH
7 PM TUESDAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LAUREL MISSISSIPPI.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 18 MPH...AND A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  KATRINA IS NOW A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. CONTINUED WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 200 MILES...MAINLY TO THE SOUTHEAST.  A WIND GUST OF 81 MPH
WAS REPORTED AT MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI AROUND 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 960 MB...28.35 INCHES.


...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THEIR
NECESSARY PREPARATION PLANS.  OUTER RAIN BANDS HAVE BEEN
MOVING ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON PRODUCING ISOLATED
WIND DAMAGE REPORTS AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED ACROSS
CENTRAL ALABAMA...DUE TO THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS.  IF THE
POWER OUTAGES LAST FOR ANY DURATION AND A GENERATOR IS NECESSARY...
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT GENERATOR USE INDOORS CAN BE DEADLY DUE TO THE
CARBON MONOXIDE GAS PRODUCED. GENERATORS SHOULD NOT BE USED
INDOORS...BUT IF NO ALTERNATIVE EXISTS...USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN
OPERATING GENERATORS INDOORS AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE VENTILATION FOR THE
MACHINE.

SECURE ALL LOOSE OBJECTS...SUCH AS PATIO FURNITURE AND TRASH
CANS...OR MOVE THEM INDOORS. BRING YOUR PETS INDOORS. FLOODING...
ESPECIALLY FLASH FLOODING...WILL BE A PROBLEM DUE TO THE VERY
HEAVY RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH KATRINA. FLOODING CAN BE
ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT...WHERE WATER CAN QUICKLY FLOOD
ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...VISIBILITIES ARE
LIMITED IN THE DARK. DO NOT TRY TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS...TURN
AROUND...DON'T DROWN.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH THE
EVENING HOURS. THE HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 4 PM
AND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE HURRICANE
TRACK...AFFECTING AREAS NEAR THE ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE
WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 75
MPH.  TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL EXTEND AS FAR EAST AS
INTERSTATE 65...FROM ONEONTA...TO ROCKFORD...TO TROY...AND WHERE
WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH A FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 60
MPH. LOCATIONS EAST OF ONEONTA...TO ROCKFORD...TO TROY...CAN EXPECT
WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

WINDS AT THESE SPEEDS...IN COMBINATION OF SATURATED SOILS...CAN
TOPPLE NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
KATRINA IS MOVING FASTER NORTHWARD THAN EXPECTED...AND TOTAL RAINFALL
AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED DOWNWARD.  FOR AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE
65...2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL ARE LIKELY...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS
NEAR 5 INCHES.  AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 65...1 TO 3 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED.

HEAVY RAINFALL FROM KATRINA WILL CAUSE MAINLY MINOR RIVER FLOODING...
ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE.  THIS FLOODING
WILL LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WATER BEGINS
RISING TO MAKE PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.
EVACUATIONS FROM LOWLANDS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE DUE TO DOWNED TREES AND
POWERLINES AND RAPIDLY RISING WATER. PREPARATIONS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY
BEEN BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETION.

...TORNADO THREAT...
AS RAIN BANDS ROTATE NORTHWARD ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH
THE EVENING HOURS...THEY WILL BE A CONTINUED THREAT OF TORNADOES.
THE TORNADO THREAT WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD AS THE CENTER OF KATRINA
MOVES NORTHWARD.

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...
THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SET UP A HOT LINE
FOR ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION IN SOUTH ALABAMA.  THE ACCESS NUMBER
IS 1-888-588-2848.  THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE
DEPARTMENT'S WEB SITE...AT HTTP://WWW.DOT.STATE.AL.US/.

TO REPORT DOWN POWER LINES TO PLEASE CALL ALABAMA POWER AT 800-888-
2726.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...OR DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE KATRINA...CALL
OUR STORM REPORTING HOTLINE AT 1-800-856-0758.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 7 PM CDT.

&&

$$



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