[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 072354
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-080330-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
800 PM EDT THU JUL 7 2005


...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS...

...LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN EFFECT FOR ALL MONROE COUNTY...

...MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR RESIDENTS OF THE LOWER KEYS...

...MANDATORY EVACUATION OF VISITORS...NON RESIDENTS AND MOBILE HOME
RESIDENTS FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...A HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE IN EFFECT FOR
THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY...

...SMALL CRAFT REMAIN IN PORT...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE
COUNTY...INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS WEST OF THE
SEVEN MILE BRIDGE. A HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE
IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY. A
HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS...WINDS OF 74 MPH
OR GREATER...ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 19.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.1 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 470 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST...AND 450 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARATHON. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 130 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
DENNIS IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE INTENSITY ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST AS THE CENTER
REACHES CENTRAL CUBA FRIDAY...AND DENNIS COULD BECOME A CATEGORY
FOUR HURRICANE BEFORE REACHING CUBA. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS WILL BRING THE CENTER VERY NEAR
CABO CRUZ CUBA TONIGHT...AND VERY NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF CENTRAL
CUBA ON FRIDAY. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS MEASURED AT 951
MB...OR 28.08 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONROE COUNTY HAS ORDERED A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR ALL RESIDENTS
OF THE LOWER KEYS WEST OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE.
ADDITIONALLY...MONROE COUNTY HAS ORDERED A VISITOR AND NONRESIDENT
EVACUATION FOR THE ENTIRE FLORIDA KEYS. THE EVACUATION ORDER
INCLUDES ALL TRAVEL TRAILERS AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLES. RESIDENTS
LIVING ON BOATS NEED TO SECURE THEIR VESSELS AND EVACUATE AS WELL.
COUNTY AND STATE PARKS ARE CLOSED. VISITORS WITH IMMEDIATE PLANS TO
VISIT THE KEYS MUST POSTPONE THEM UNTIL THE RISK OF THE STORM
PASSES. THE MONROE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IS CURRENTLY FULLY
ACTIVATED AND A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
MONROE COUNTY. THE TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD HAVE BEEN LIFTED. THE
DRAW BRIDGES AT SNAKE CREEK IN ISLAMORADA AND JEWFISH CREEK IN KEY
LARGO ARE TO BE LOCKED DOWN AT 10 PM THURSDAY NIGHT SO THAT
VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FLOW WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED BY BOATS. MONROE
COUNTY OFFICES AND SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY. LOWER KEYS
MEDICAL CENTER IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE FRIDAY. AIRLINES THAT SERVICE
KEY WEST AIRPORT ARE REPORTING THAT MOST FLIGHTS OUT OF KEY WEST ARE
SOLD OUT. RENTAL CAR AGENCIES REPORT NO VEHICLES AVAILABLE.
GREYHOUND BUSLINES IN KEY WEST WILL HAVE A BUS LEAVING TO MIAMI AT
1100 PM THIS EVENING...AND AT 845 AM AND 1130 AM ON FRIDAY...WITH
ADDITIONAL BUSES ADDED AT THESE TIMES. CONTACT GREYHOUND AT
800-410-5397 FOR MORE INFORMATION. ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO
MONITOR FUTURE MEDIA REPORTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BULLETINS FOR
FURTHER PROTECTIVE ACTIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM SURGE THROUGH THE FLORIDA KEYS IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 3 TO
6 FEET...WITH THE HIGHEST SURGE OCCURRING IN THE LOWER KEYS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE LOWER KEYS BY FRIDAY
EVENING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT ALL OF THE KEYS
BEGINNING FRIDAY AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL WORSEN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
WINDS AND SEAS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THIS EVENING...AS HURRICANE
DENNIS APPROACHES. THEREFORE...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT
UNTIL THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE DENNIS HAVE PASSED. TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE FLORIDA STRAITS EARLY FRIDAY
AFTERNOON...AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT IN
THE LOWER KEYS. FURTHERMORE...SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE TONIGHT
WITH INCREASING SQUALLS EXPECTED FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
THE FLORIDA KEYS CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE 4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN
ASSOCIATION WITH HURRICANE DENNIS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE DENNIS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 1130 PM EDT THURSDAY
NIGHT...OR WHEN NEW INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

FELTGEN/DEVANAS






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