[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 100102
HLSEYW
FLZ076>078-GMZ031>033-052>054-072>075-100330-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
900 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005


...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS UNTIL 11 PM...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS UNTIL 11 PM...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE.
UPDATED HEADLINES.
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY ACTIONS.

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

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS WEST OF THE
SEVEN MILE BRIDGE.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 900 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.1 WEST...OR ABOUT 230 MILES
NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125
MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
EXPECTED TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...AND DENNIS MAY BECOME AN EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL ON THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13
MPH WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST EXPECTED TONIGHT OR
SUNDAY. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS MEASURED AT 942 MB...OR
27.82 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE STORM SURGE HAS RECEDED. HOWEVER...EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE
EXERCISED ON THOSE STREETS THAT WERE INUNDATED BY STORM SURGE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

RESIDENTS SHOULD USE CAUTION IF VENTURING OUT ONTO THE STREETS
TONIGHT. THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY FROM FLORIDA CITY TO KEY WEST IS IN
GOOD SHAPE WITHOUT DAMAGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT RESIDENT EVACUEES
DELAY THEIR RETURN TO THE KEYS UNTIL SUNDAY MORNING...WHILE CREWS
COMPLETE THEIR WORK ON DEBRIS REMOVAL...AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS
IMPROVE. MARATHON AIRPORT SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL SUNDAY...BUT KEY
WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL MONDAY AT THE
EARLIEST. ELECTRICAL SERVICE TO MOST CUSTOMERS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
WILL BE FULLY RESTORED BY SUNDAY NIGHT. NO PROBLEMS ARE REPORTED
WITH THE FRESHWATER PIPELINE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS IN THE LOWER KEYS ARE CURRENTLY SUSTAINED AT 35 MPH WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50 MPH. WINDS OVER THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS ARE
NEAR 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WINDS WILL SLOWLY DECREASE TONIGHT.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WIND AND SEAS SUBSIDE.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 KNOTS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50
KNOTS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE WESTERN STRAITS AND THE SOUTHEAST
GULF WATERS TONIGHT.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS
TODAY...MAINLY OVER THE LOWER KEYS. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF
RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE KEYS THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY THE
LOWER KEYS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER KEYS UNTIL 11PM.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH IS EFFECT UNTIL 11PM FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS. 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 1130 PM EDT THIS EVENING...OR
WHEN NEW INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION...PLEASE CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

FELTGEN










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