[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KJAN 091658
HLSJAN
MSZ028>033-037>039-044>046-050>052-056>058-064>066-072>074-092200-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
12 PM CDT SAT JUL 9 2005

...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF EAST MISSISSIPPI FOR
SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

...HURRICANE DENNIS HAS MOVED INTO THE SOUTHEAST GULF AND IS TAKING
AIM ON THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS
OF EAST MISSISSIPPI.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF EAST
MISSISSIPPI...THIS INCLUDES MONTGOMERY...WEBSTER...CLAY...LOWNDES...
CHOCTAW...OKTIBBEHA...ATTALA...WINSTON...NOXUBEE...LEAKE...NESHOBA...
KEMPER...SCOTT...NEWTON...LAUDERDALE...SMITH...JASPER...CLARKE...
JEFFERSON DAVIS...COVINGTON...JONES...MARION...LAMAR...AND FORREST
COUNTIES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR THE SAME LOCATIONS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1 PM EDT...1700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 25.0 NORTH... LONGITUDE 84.0 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT
355 MILES... SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT
460 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI. DENNIS IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST TONIGHT
OR SUNDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
DENNIS IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.
SOME GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY.

DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST...
POSSIBLY THE EXTREME NORTHWEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE OR ALABAMA COASTS...
ON SUNDAY AS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SHELTERS ARE BEING OPENED IN SOME AREAS...PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR WATCH LOCAL TV FOR LOCATIONS OF
THESE SHELTERS. YOU CAN ALSO REFER TO THE MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT WEBSITE AT: WWW.MSEMA.ORG.

RESIDENTS OF EAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE PREPARATIONS FOR
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN FOR LATE SUNDAY
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. SECURE ANY OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT COULD BECOME
AIRBORNE SINCE HIGH WINDS WILL PERSIST FOR SEVERAL HOURS AS THE STORM
PASSES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 65 MPH ARE
ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN DEVELOPING SUNDAY AFTER 5 PM OVER SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...THEN SPREADING NORTH THROUGH EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
BY MIDNIGHT. DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO BE AT LEAST A CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE WITH WINDS AROUND 125 MPH WHEN IT MOVES ONSHORE. ONCE
ONSHORE...DENNIS WILL BEGIN WEAKENING AS IT MOVES TOWARD EAST
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL BE ALONG AND NEAR THE
CENTER OF DENNIS...WHERE TREES AND POWER LINES WILL LIKELY BE
DAMAGED. ANY SHIFT WESTWARD IN THE TRACK WILL MEAN STRONGER WINDS.

...RAINFALL...
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH
ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 7 INCHES POSSIBLE AS DENNIS MOVES ACROSS EAST
MISSISSIPPI. GROUND CONDITIONS ARE FAIRLY DRY BUT THREE INCHES OF
RAIN IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME WILL PROMOTE RUNOFF AND RESULT IN A
DANGEROUS FLASH FLOOD SITUATION AS DENNIS MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. IF
FLOODING IS ENCOUNTERED...REMEMBER TO TURN AROUND AND DON'T DROWN.
MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES TRYING TO CROSS WATER OF
UNKNOWN DEPTH.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT SCHEDULED LOCAL ACTION STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 5 PM
WHEN PORTIONS OF THE WATCH AREA WILL BE UPGRADED TO WARNING STATUS.

$$

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