[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KJAN 100113
HLSJAN
MSZ026>033-036>039-042>046-048>052-054>058-062>066-072>074-100415-

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

...DENNIS CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN RAPIDLY AND IS NOW A DANGEROUS
CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE TAKING AIM ALONG THE CENTRAL GULF COAST...

...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND INLAND HURRICANE WATCH
REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI FROM SUNDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH DAYBREAK MONDAY...

...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF
CENTRAL AND EAST MISSISSIPPI FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS
OF CENTRAL AND EAST MISSISSIPPI...GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF
INTERSTATE 55.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND INLAND HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS
IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.  THIS INCLUDES
CLARKE...FORREST...JASPER...JONES...AND LAMAR COUNTIES.

THE INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF
CENTRAL AND EAST MISSISSIPPI.  THIS INCLUDES ATTALA...CARROLL...
CHOCTAW...CLAY...COPIAH...COVINGTON...GRENADA...HINDS...HOLMES...
JEFFERSON DAVIS...KEMPER...LAUDERDALE...LAWRENCE...LEAKE...LINCOLN...
LOWNDES...MADISON...MARION...MONTGOMERY...NESHOBA...NEWTON...
NOXUBEE...OKTIBBEHA...RANKIN...SCOTT...SIMPSON...SMITH...WEBSTER...
WINSTON...AND YAZOO COUNTIES.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF MISSISSIPPI...
GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 55.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 800 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.1 WEST.  THIS IS ABOUT 365 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF BILOXI...AND APPROXIMATELY 433 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
HATTIESBURG.

DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MILES AN HOUR.  THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE...WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH
NORTHWEST LATER TONIGHT OR SUNDAY.  THIS MOTION WILL BRING THE
CENTER OF DENNIS ONSHORE ALONG THE CENTRAL GULF COAST SUNDAY.

DATA FROM HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS ARE NOW NEAR 125 MILES AN HOUR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  THIS
MAKES DENNIS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE.
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS NOW 942 MILLIBARS...OR 27.82 INCHES.

ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING TONIGHT COULD MAKE DENNIS A CATEGORY 4
STORM PRIOR TO LANDFALL.  HURRICANE FORCE WINDS MAY IMPACT PORTIONS
OF INLAND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY NIGHT.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SHELTERS ARE OPEN IN SOME AREAS.  PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT OFFICE...WATCH LOCAL TV...OR LISTEN TO RADIO 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 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 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 70 MILES AN HOUR ARE
ANTICIPATED TO DEVELOP AFTER 500 PM SUNDAY OVER SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI.  A FEW GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE ARE EXPECTED ROUGHLY
SOUTHEAST OF A QUITMAN TO LAUREL TO HATTIESBURG LINE SUNDAY NIGHT.

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MILES AN
HOUR...ARE ANTICIPATED TO DEVELOP SUNDAY EVENING OVER EAST CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI.  THESE WINDS SHOULD THEN SPREAD WEST AND NORTH...
AFFECTING COMMUNITIES ALONG A BROOKHAVEN TO BRANDON TO STARKVILLE
LINE BY MIDNIGHT.  PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT ANY WESTWARD SHIFT IN THE
TRACK OF DENNIS WILL SPREAD STRONGER WINDS WEST OF THIS LINE.

AGAIN...DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO BE AT LEAST A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE
WHEN HE MAKES LANDFALL SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  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.

...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.  REMEMBER...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
1100 PM CDT.

$$

BUTTS

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