[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 081240
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-081530-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
830 AM EDT FRI JUL 8 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...
...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED HEADLINES.

...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 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 20.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.5 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 285 MILES
SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 135
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE
BEFORE LANDFALL IN CUBA. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR
12 MPH. DENNIS HAS MADE A SLIGHT WOBBLE AND HAS SLOWED DOWN SLIGHTLY
DURING THE PAST 6 HOURS. HOWEVER...A GENERAL MOTION TO THE
NORTHWEST...ALONG WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE FORWARD SPEED...IS
EXPECTED TO RESUME LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE EYE OF DENNIS WILL REACH THE
SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST OF CUBA LATER TODAY. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS ESTIMATED AT 950 MB...OR 28.05 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 LOCKED DOWN SO THAT VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FLOW WILL NOT BE
INTERRUPTED BY BOATS. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES AND SCHOOLS WILL BE
CLOSED TODAY. LOWER KEYS MEDICAL CENTER IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE
TODAY. AIRLINES THAT SERVICE KEY WEST AIRPORT ARE REPORTING THAT
MOST FLIGHTS OUT OF KEY WEST ARE SOLD OUT. RENTAL CAR AGENCIES
REPORT NO AVAILABLE VEHICLES. GREYHOUND BUS LINES IN KEY WEST WILL
HAVE A BUS LEAVING TO MIAMI AT 845 AM AND 1130 AM TODAY...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...
INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS. STORM TIDES WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...AND WILL LIKELY REACH MAXIMUM VALUES DURING THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS SATURDAY. THE GREATEST RISK FOR STORM SURGE FLOODING
WILL OCCUR ALONG SOUTH AND EAST FACING PORTIONS OF EACH ISLAND.

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE LOWER KEYS BY THIS
EVENING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT ALL OF THE KEYS
BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL LIKELY OCCUR
THROUGHOUT THE KEYS LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
WINDS AND SEAS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THIS MORNING...AS HURRICANE
DENNIS APPROACHES. 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 THIS
AFTERNOON...AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT IN
THE LOWER KEYS. FURTHERMORE...SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE
OVERNIGHT WITH INCREASING SQUALLS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
THE FLORIDA KEYS CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE 4 TO 8 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN
ASSOCIATION WITH HURRICANE DENNIS...EXCEPT LOCALLY UP TO 10 INCHES
POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER KEYS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON...AND CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY.

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

$$

L. KASPER/DEVANAS





















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