[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 081759
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-082130-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
200 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2005

...ALL HURRICANE PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED...
...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY AND REMAIN UNTIL STORM PASSAGE...
...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.
UPDATED STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS.
UPDATED WIND IMPACTS.
UPDATED MARINE 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 200 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 22.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.6 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 190 MILES
SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 145
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 FLORIDA STRAITS. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST
NEAR 17 MPH...AND ON THIS COURSE THE CENTER SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL
MOVE INTO THE FLORIDA STRAITS THIS EVENING. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS MEASURED AT 941 MB...OR 27.79 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL PROTECTIVE ACTIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED. 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 CLOSED
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 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 LOWER KEYS WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 6
FEET...WITH 2 TO 4 FEET OF SURGE EXPECTED IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
KEYS. STORM TIDES WILL 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 ARE NOW BEGINNING TO IMPACT THE KEYS.
THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL LIKELY OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE KEYS LATE THIS
EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL STORM PASSAGE. TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOW IMPACTING THE FLORIDA STRAITS. IT IS NOT
SAFE TO BE AT SEA...DO NOT LEAVE PORT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL
OCCUR TONIGHT IN THE LOWER KEYS.

...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 530 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON...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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