[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 081350
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-081530-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
945 AM EDT FRI JUL 8 2005

...ALL HURRICANE PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...

...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 PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
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...
ALL PROTECTIVE ACTIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW
HOURS...CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE AS THE DAY
PROGRESSES. NO SHELTERS ARE OPEN IN MONROE COUNTY. FOR SHELTER
INFORMATION AND OTHER EMERGENCY INFORMATION CALL THE MONROE COUNTY
EMERGENCY HOTLINE AT 800-955-5504. 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. 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 BUSES LEAVING TO MIAMI AT 1130 AM
TODAY. 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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