[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 081507
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-081830-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1115 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...
...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...SMALL CRAFT REMAIN IN PORT...

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

...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 1100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.9 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 250 MILES
SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED
TO NEAR 150 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS IS A STRONG CATEGORY
FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME WEAKENING IS
EXPECTED AS DENNIS MOVES OVER CUBA...BUT IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A
MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT ENTERS THE GULF OF MEXICO THIS EVENING. DENNIS
IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...AND ON THIS COURSE THE
CENTER SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL COAST OF CUBA THIS
AFTERNOON. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS MEASURED AT 938 MB...OR
27.70 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...AND FLIGHTS OUT OF KEY WEST WILL CEASE LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR
EARLY EVENING. RENTAL CAR AGENCIES REPORT NO AVAILABLE VEHICLES.
GREYHOUND BUS LINES IN KEY WEST WILL HAVE A BUS LEAVING TO MIAMI AT
1130 AM TODAY AND AT 330 PM THIS AFTERNOON. 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 THIS AFTERNOON...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 RISK FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES THROUGHOUT THE FLORIDA KEYS
FOR THE DURATION OF THE HURRICANE...ESPECIALLY IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS
OF THE HURRICANE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE DENNIS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 230 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON...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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