[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 092114
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-870-
873-876-100330-

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

...DENNIS GAINING STRENGTH AS IT HEADS TOWARD THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF
COAST...COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE AGAIN LATER TONIGHT...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH
TO TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER...
...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 628 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE...
CITRUS...DE SOTO...HARDEE...HERNANDO...HIGHLANDS...HILLSBOROUGH...
LEE...LEVY...MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...SARASOTA AND SUMTER
COUNTIES UNTIL 11 PM...

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE DENNIS CONTINUES TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED WITH MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

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 STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND
DENNIS COULD BECOME A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE AGAIN BY SUNDAY.

...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.

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 628 IS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE...CITRUS...DE
SOTO...HARDEE...HERNANDO...HIGHLANDS...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...LEVY...
MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...SARASOTA AND SUMTER COUNTIES
UNTIL 11 PM.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLOTTE...CITRUS...DE SOTO...
HARDEE...HERNANDO...HIGHLANDS...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...LEVY...
MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...POLK...SARASOTA AND SUMTER COUNTIES
UNTIL SUNDAY MORNING.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 5 PM EDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
25.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.6 WEST OR ABOUT 160 MILES WEST OF FORT
MYERS. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 175 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE MOUTH
OF TAMPA BAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE REGION WILL REMAIN IN THE PRIMARY DEVELOPMENT AREA FOR TORNADOES
AND WATERSPOUTS INTO THIS EVENING. SEVERAL TORNADOES OCCURRED EARLIER
TODAY AND FURTHER TOUCHDOWNS ARE POSSIBLE. REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
TORNADO WARNINGS

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...
WITH GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE POSSIBLE OVER THE OUTER WATERS.
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...ARE EXPECTED
ALONG THE IMMEDIATE BEACHES OF WEST PENINSULA FLORIDA THIS EVENING.

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...
WINDS WILL BECOME MORE ONSHORE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT WITH WATER
LEVELS EXPECTED TO RISE TODAY AND TONIGHT. GENERAL WATER LEVELS ARE
EXPECT TO RISE TO 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THE TIMING OF THE PEAK
WATER LEVELS WILL BE IN THE EVENING TO NEAR MIDNIGHT FOR FORT
MYERS...NEAR MIDNIGHT TO 6 AM FOR TAMPA BAY...AND NEAR 3 AM TO 8 AM
FOR CEDAR KEY. THE HIGHEST TIDE VALUES WILL BE ALONG SOUTH FACING
EXPOSURES.

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

STORM TOTAL RAINFALL WILL RANGE FROM 7 TO 9 INCHES FROM LEE
COUNTY TO SARASOTA COUNTY...AND 4 TO 8 INCHES ELSEWHERE. SEVERAL
RIVERS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE FLOOD STAGE...AND ANY
ADDITIONAL RAINS WILL PERPETUATE FLOODING IN THESE AREAS.

HEAVY RAINFALL HAS FLOODED SOME ROADWAYS IN THE AREA...REMAIN ALERT
FOR FLOOD ADVISORIES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

SOME RAINFALL TOTALS FOR DENNIS THOUGH 4 PM EDT...
FORT MYERS PAGE FIELD...4.12 INCHES
PUNTA GORDA...3.83 INCHES
FORT MYERS SOUTHWEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...3.40 INCHES
BUCKINGHAM...3.60 INCHES
NOCATEE...3.43
NORTH PORT...3.33
FORT OGDEN...3.74
SARASOTA...2.82

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SEAS ARE 12 TO 15 FEET NEAR SHORE AND 15 TO 20 FEET WELL OFFSHORE.
LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED ALONG AREA BEACHES
WITH BREAKING WAVES OF 6 TO 8 FEET POSSIBLY UP TO 10 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 1100 AND 1130 PM OR EARLIER SHOULD
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

$$

RD

This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net