[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 090336
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-870-
873-876-100345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1136 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2005

...HURRICANE DENNIS MOVING NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS WESTERN CUBA...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE
COUNTY NORTHWARD TO ANCLOTE KEY IN PINELLAS COUNTY...
...TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM ANCLOTE KEY IN PASCO
COUNTY TO SUWANNEE RIVER IN LEVY COUNTY...
...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 626 IS IN EFFECT FOR MANATEE...HARDEE...
HIGHLANDS...SARASOTA...DE SOTO...CHARLOTTE...AND LEE COUNTIES
UNTIL 9 AM SATURDAY...


...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE DENNIS IS MOVING NORTHWEST OVER NORTHWESTERN CUBA AND IS
EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE FLORIDA STRAITS OVERNIGHT. THE
HURRICANE HAS WEAKENED SLIGHTLY TO 110 MILES AN HOUR...AS IT MOVED
OVER LAND...HOWEVER DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO RE-STRENGHTEN OVER THE
WARM GULF STREAM WATERS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. MOVEMENT WAS
NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH.

DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO RE-INTENSIFY INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT
MOVES OVER THE FLORIDA STRAITS AND THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO
EARLY SATURDAY. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE
WEST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH TO ANCLOTE KEY. A
TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM ANCLOTE KEY NORTH TO THE
SUWANNEE RIVER.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH TO ANCLOTE
KEY.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM ANCLOTE KEY TO THE SUWANNEE
RIVER.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MANATEE...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS...SARASOTA...
DE SOTO...CHARLOTTE...AND LEE COUNTIES UNTIL 9 AM SATURDAY...

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 11 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
23.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.1 WEST OR ABOUT 235 MILES SOUTH OF FORT MYERS.
THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 325 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 TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...THAT PART
OF THE STORM WILL AFFECT WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
THEREFORE INCREASING THE TORNADO THREAT FOR THE AREA.

STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL TORNADO WATCHES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
DENNIS WILL MOVE NORTHWEST ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO
SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY PRODUCING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OVER THE
COASTAL WATERS...WITH GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE POSSIBLE OVER THE
OUTER WATERS.  TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL SPREAD OVER CHARLOTTE
AND LEE COUNTIES AFTER SUNRISE SATURDAY...SARASOTA AND MANATEE
COUNTIES BY NOON SATURDAY...AND OVER PINELLAS AND HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTIES SATURDAY BY EARLY EVENING. STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR AT
THE IMMEDIATE COAST.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AS DENNIS MOVES NORTHWESTWARD SATURDAY...WINDS WILL BECOME ONSHORE
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT AND BEGIN TO RAISE WATER LEVELS 4 TO 6
FEET ABOVE NORMAL FROM PINELLAS COUNTY SOUTH TO LEE COUNTY...WITH
THE HIGHEST WATER EXPECTED ON SOUTH FACING EXPOSURES INCLUDING
CHARLOTTE HARBOR.  WATER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE DURING THE
EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS ALONG THE LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTY COAST...MID
AFTERNOON ALONG SARASOTA COUNTY...AND DURING THE EVENING HOURS ALONG
THE MANATEE...HILLSBOROUGH...AND PINELLAS COUNTY COAST.

WATER LEVELS 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IS EXPECTED FROM PASCO COUNTY
TO CITRUS COUNTY SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...WITH 3 TO 5
FEET ABOVE NORMAL IN LEVY COUNTY. THE HIGHEST WATER EXPECTED ON
SOUTH FACING EXPOSURES.

...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 4 TO 6 INCHES...MAINLY OVER SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA NEAR THE COAST...TO 3 TO 5 INCHES AROUND THE GREATER
TAMPA BAY AREA...AND 2 TO 4 INCHES NORTH OF TAMPA BAY AND OVER
INLAND COUNTIES. 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 NORTHWEST THROUGH THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...WINDS
AND SEAS WILL QUICKLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE OVER THE EAST CENTRAL
GULF MAKING CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY. CURRENT
GUIDANCE SUGGESTS SEAS WILL BUILD TO 12 TO 14 FEET NEAR SHORE AND 15
TO 18 FEET WELL OFFSHORE. LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE
ALSO EXPECTED ALONG AREA BEACHES WITH BREAKING WAVES OF 6 TO 8
FEET WITH 10 FEET SETS PRODUCING DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND MODERATE BEACH
EROSION. 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 AM SATURDAY MORNING.

$$





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