[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 081455
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-082130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1055 AM EDT FRI JUL 8 2005

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE DENNIS MOVING NORTHWESTWARD ALONG THE CENTRAL
CUBA COAST...
...TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE
COUNTY NORTHWARD TO LONGBOAT KEY IN MANATEE COUNTY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
DURING THE MORNING HOURS...HURRICANE DENNIS HAS BEEN PARALLELING THE
CENTRAL CUBA COAST.  SIGNIFICANT INTENSIFICATION HAS OCCURRED AS
WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 150 MPH MAKING DENNIS A STRONG CATEGORY 4
HURRICANE.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
CITRUS...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...
LEVY...MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...SARASOTA...HARDEE...
HIGHLANDS...POLK...SUMTER...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH
TO LONGBOAT KEY.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 11 AM EDT... THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.9 WEST OR ABOUT 375 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF FORT MYERS.  THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 480 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF THE TAMPA BAY REGION.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE PRIMARY AREA FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IN TROPICAL SYSTEMS IS THE
RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE STORM.  AS DENNIS MOVES NORTHWESTWARD
OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...THAT PART
OF THE STORM WILL AFFECT WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
THEREFORE INCREASING THE TORNADO THREAT FOR THE AREA.  THERE COULD
BE AN ISOLATED TORNADO LATER TODAY OR THIS EVENING OVER SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA...BUT THE GREATER THREAT WILL BE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS THE CENTER OF DENNIS PASSES OUR LATITUDE...INCREASING THE
THREAT FOR TORNADIC ACTIVITY.

STAY TUNED FOR POSSIBLE TORNADO WATCHES AND WARNINGS...ESPECIALLY
SATURDAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
DENNIS WILL MOVE NORTHWEST ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL PORTION OF
THE GULF OF MEXICO SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY PRODUCING TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS OVER AT LEAST THE OUTER LEG OF THE COASTAL
WATERS.  GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE ARE POSSIBLE THERE.  THE
LATEST TRACK AND SATELLITE TRENDS SUGGEST EFFECTS MAY BE LESS ON
THE SUNCOAST...WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ONLY OCCURRING
WITH GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS IN FEEDER BANDS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AS DENNIS MOVES NORTHWESTWARD SATURDAY...WINDS WILL BECOME ONSHORE
LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT AND BEGIN TO RAISE WATER LEVELS 2
TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL.  HOWEVER...SHOULD DENNIS TRACK A BIT
FARTHER WEST...MUCH OF THE FLOW WILL REMAIN OFFSHORE...REDUCING THE
THREAT FOR STORM SURGE.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CURRENT FORECAST MOVEMENT OF DENNIS WILL BRING OCCASIONAL BANDS
OF TORRENTIAL RAIN...BECOMING MOST FREQUENT SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS THE CENTER PASSES BY. ADDITIONAL DOWNPOURS WILL OCCUR
SUNDAY AS A FINAL BROAD FEEDER BAND PASSES THROUGH.

STORM TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES...MAINLY NEAR THE
COAST...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS INLAND.  LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY
OCCUR WHERE PERSISTENT BANDS DEVELOP.  BUT THIS IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT
ON THE EVENTUAL TRACK DENNIS TAKES ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO.
SEVERAL RIVERS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE FLOOD
STAGE...AND ANY ADDITIONAL RAINS WILL PERPETUATE FLOODING IN THESE
AREAS.  HOWEVER...ONLY MINOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
AS DENNIS MOVES NORTH THROUGH THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...WINDS AND
SEAS WILL INCREASE GREATLY OVER THE EAST CENTRAL GULF MAKING
CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
MARINERS SHOULD POSTPONE TRAVEL UNTIL AFTER DENNIS MOVES INLAND AND
WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD PLAN TO REMAIN IN PORT
UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 5 AND 530 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

$$

BSG


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