[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 091114
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-091330-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
715 AM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005

...REMAIN IN SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED...
...DO NOT VENTURE OUT ONTO THE ROADWAYS FROM YOUR PLACE OF SAFETY...
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 900 AM...
...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS......HURRICANE
WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
KEYS INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION
UPDATED SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS IN PREPAREDNESS SECTION
UPDATED CURRENT WIND...STORM TIDE AND MARINE IMPACTS
UPDATED TO INCLUDE NEW TORNADO WATCH

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE
COUNTY...INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS 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.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 700 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 24.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.2 WEST...ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. DENNIS IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME RE-STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS
THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO.
DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. THIS MOTION
SHOULD CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE
WAS ESTIMATED AT 969 MB...OR 28.61 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT TO VENTURE OUT ONTO THE STREETS AT THIS
TIME. DANGEROUS CONDITIONS EXIST INCLUDING SOME FALLEN
TREES...DOWNED POWER LINES...AND EVEN SOME DOWNED AND NON
FUNCTIONING TRAFFIC SIGNALS. TO REPORT TREES THAT ARE DOWNED ACROSS
POWER LINES OR DOWNED POWER LINES IN THE CITY OF KEY WEST...PLEASE
CALL 809-1108. THE KEY WEST 911 SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AND
SHOULD BE USED ONLY IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY. THREE REFUGES OF LAST
RESORT ARE OPEN. THEY ARE LOCATED AT KEY WEST HIGH SCHOOL IN KEY
WEST...STANLEY SWITLICK SCHOOL IN MARATHON...AND CORAL SHORES HIGH
SCHOOL AT MILE MARKER 90. NO SUPPLIES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE REFUGES.
FOR EMERGENCY INFORMATION CALL THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY HOTLINE
AT 800-955-5504. KEY WEST AND MARATHON AIRPORTS...AS WELL AS THE
LOWER KEYS MEDICAL CENTER REMAIN CLOSED. THERE ARE NO FIRE OR RESCUE
SERVICES FROM STOCK ISLAND THROUGH MARATHON. ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD
CONTINUE TO MONITOR FUTURE MEDIA REPORTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
BULLETINS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WATER LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY ONE AND A HALF FEET ABOVE NORMAL AT KEY
WEST AND SOMBRERO KEY LIGHT. STORM SURGE...WHICH IS THE INCREASE IN
WATER LEVEL ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDE LEVELS...IN THE LOWER
KEYS WILL PEAK AS HIGH AS 3 TO 4 FEET...WITH A MAXIMUM SURGE OF
AROUND 2 FEET EXPECTED IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS. DRY TORTUGAS
MAY EXPERIENCE STORM SURGE UP TO 6 FEET. WATER LEVELS WILL REMAIN
ELEVATED THROUGH THE NEXT HIGH TIDE AROUND NOON TODAY. THE GREATEST
RISK FOR STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL OCCUR ALONG SOUTH AND EAST FACING
PORTIONS OF EACH ISLAND.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS IN THE LOWER KEYS ARE CURRENTLY SUSTAINED NEAR 50 MPH WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO NEAR 65 MPH. THE PEAK WIND GUST AT THE KEY WEST
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EARLIER THIS MORNING WAS 74 MPH. THROUGHOUT
THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS...SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE BEEN 35 TO 40 MPH
WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO OVER 50 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY
BECOME MORE SOUTHEASTERLY LATER THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL SLOWLY
BEGIN TO DIMINISH IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS...BUT WILL REMAIN AT
TROPICAL STORM FORCE THROUGH MIDDAY. IN THE LOWER KEYS...TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY AFTERNOON. SOME
ADDITIONAL POWER OUTAGES AND DAMAGE TO TREES AND SIGNS CAN BE
EXPECTED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS THROUGH MIDDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WIND AND SEAS SUBSIDE.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 55 KNOTS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS
TO OVER 65 KNOTS ARE CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE STRAITS ALONG THE
FLORIDA KEYS. SOMBRERO KEY LIGHT RECENTLY RECORDED WIND GUSTS TO 72
KNOTS...WITH A RECENT WIND GUST OF 68 KNOTS RECORDED AT SAND KEY.
HURRICANE FORCE SUSTAINED WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE STRAITS SOUTH
OF THE LOWER KEYS AND WEST THROUGH DRY TORTUGAS...ALONG WITH SEAS UP
TO 18 FEET.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
TOTAL RAINFALL OF 4 TO 8 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE KEYS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN RE-ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 400 PM
THIS AFTERNOON. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IN THE WATCH AREA...ESPECIALLY IN THE OUTER
RAINBANDS OF THE HURRICANE. IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED OR DETECTED ON
RADAR...A TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE ON HURRICANE DENNIS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN KEY WEST WILL BE AROUND 930 AM EDT THIS MORNING...OR
WHEN NEW INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

RIZZO/FUTTERMAN



















































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