[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 091658
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-870-
873-876-091930-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
100 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005

...DENNIS CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE GULF AND IS BECOMING
BETTER ORGANIZED...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH IN LEE
COUNTY NORTHWARD TO SUWANNEE RIVER IN LEVY COUNTY...
...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 627 IS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE...
CITRUS...DE SOTO...HARDEE...HERNANDO...HIGHLANDS...HILLSBOROUGH...
LEE...LEVY...MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...SARASOTA AND SUMTER
COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM...

...NEW INFORMATION...
STORM SURGE HEIGHTS WILL BE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED
WITH GENERAL STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 4 FEET NOW ANTICIPATED ALONG THE
COAST.

...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
TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE...CITRUS...DE SOTO...
HARDEE...HERNANDO...HIGHLANDS...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...LEVY...
MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...SARASOTA AND SUMTER COUNTIES
UNTIL 4 PM

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 1 PM EDT...1700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 25.0 NORTH... LONGITUDE 84.0 WEST OR ABOUT 180 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF NAPLES. THIS IS POSITION ALSO ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTH-
SOUTHWEST OF TAMPA FLORIDA.

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 AND 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 DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE PRIMARY AREA FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IN TROPICAL SYSTEMS IS THE
RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE STORM. AS DENNIS MOVES OVER THE GULF OF
MEXICO TODAY THE REGION WILL REMAIN IN THAT PORTION OF THE
STORM WITH A TORNADO THREAT CONTINUING THOUGH THE DAY.

BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS WERE REPORTED EARLIER THIS MORNING IN
BRADENTON...THE PORT OF TAMPA AND ST PETERSBURG. REMAIN ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLE TORNADO WARNINGS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...WITH
GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE POSSIBLE OVER THE OUTER WATERS.  TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD OVER COASTAL AREAS OF LEE...
CHARLOTTE...SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTIES TODAY AND OVER THE TAMPA
BAY AREA BY EARLY EVENING. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR ALONG THE
IMMEDIATE COAST.

SUSTAINED WINDS OVER THE NATURE COAST WILL LIKELY REMAIN BELOW
TROPICAL STORM INTENSITY...HOWEVER...GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH HEAVIER RAINBANDS.

SEVERAL STRONG RAINBANDS ARE MOVING NORTH ACROSS THE AREA WITH WIND
GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS...INCLUDING
INLAND LOCATIONS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AS DENNIS MOVES NORTHWESTWARD WINDS WILL BECOME ONSHORE THIS
AFTERNOON AND WATER LEVELS WILL BEGIN TO RISE LATER TODAY. GENERAL
WATER LEVELS ARE EXPECT TO RISE TO 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THE
TIMING OF THE PEAK WATER LEVELS WILL BE IN THE EVENING FOR FORT
MYERS...AROUND MIDNIGHT FOR TAMPA BAY...AND AROUND 3 AM FOR CEDAR
KEY. THE HIGHEST WATER WILL BE ON SOUTH FACING EXPOSURES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CURRENT FORECAST MOVEMENT OF DENNIS WILL BRING OCCASIONAL BANDS
OF TORRENTIAL RAIN...BECOMING MOST FREQUENT THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS THE CENTER PASSES BY. ADDITIONAL DOWNPOURS WILL OCCUR
SUNDAY AS A FINAL BROAD FEEDER BAND PASSES THROUGH.

GENERAL STORM TOTAL RAINFALL WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 12 INCHES FROM LEE
COUNTY TO SARASOTA COUNTY...AND 4 TO 8 INCHES ELSEWHERE. LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER LEE...CHARLOTTE AND
SOUTHERN SARASOTA COUNTIES. SEVERAL RIVERS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA REMAIN
NEAR OR ABOVE FLOOD STAGE...AND ANY ADDITIONAL RAINS WILL PERPETUATE
FLOODING IN THESE AREAS.

AS OF 11 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR RAINFALL
ESTIMATES INDICATE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 10 INCHES IN THE PORT
CHARLOTTE AREA...6 TO 8 INCHES NEAR ENGLEWOOD...4 TO 6 INCHES NEAR
SARASOTA...AND 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO BUILD TO 12 TO 14 FEET NEAR SHORE AND 15 TO 18
FEET WELL OFFSHORE. LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED
ALONG AREA BEACHES WITH BREAKING WAVES OF 6 TO 8 FEET PRODUCING
DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND MODERATE BEACH EROSION. MARINERS AND
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE.

SUNDAY WILL SEE IMPROVING WEATHER CONDITIONS...HOWEVER...RESIDUAL
WAVES OF 4 TO 6 FEET WILL CAUSE STRONG RIP CURRENTS AND BEACH
EROSION. IF VISITING THE BEACH HEED THE ADVICE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS
AND THE BEACH PATROL.

...NEXT STATEMENT...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN RUSKIN WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 100 AND 130 PM OR EARLIER SHOULD
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

$$

SANDRIK

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