[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KTBW 100315
HLSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-870-
873-876-100930-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1115 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005

...DENNIS NOW A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT HEADS TOWARD THE NORTH CENTRAL
GULF COAST...
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH
TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER...
...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 629 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CITRUS...
HERNANDO...LEVY...PASCO AND SUMTER COUNTIES UNTIL 8 AM SUNDAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE DENNIS CONTINUES TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED WITH MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...AND THIS MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-
NORTHWEST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS
IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.
STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST BEFORE LANDFALL...AND DENNIS IS EXPECTED
TO BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE LATER TONIGHT OR ON SUNDAY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...CITRUS...
CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...LEVY...
MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...SARASOTA...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS...POLK...
SUMTER...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH
TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER.

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 629 IS IN EFFECT FOR CITRUS...HERNANDO...
LEVY...PASCO AND SUMTER COUNTIES UNTIL 8 AM SUNDAY.

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

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 11 PM EDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
26.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST OR ABOUT 170 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE
MOUTH OF TAMPA BAY. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 210 MILES WEST OF
FORT MYERS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
AREAS NORTH OF THE TAMPA BAY REGION WILL REMAIN IN THE PRIMARY
DEVELOPMENT AREA FOR TORNADOES AND WATERSPOUTS OVERNIGHT. 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 THE WESTERN PENINSULA OF FLORIDA
OVERNIGHT.

STRONG RAINBANDS CONTINUE TO MOVE 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 LATE TONIGHT WITH WATER LEVELS
EXPECTED TO RISE OVERNIGHT. GENERAL WATER LEVELS ARE EXPECT TO RISE
2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THE TIMING OF THE PEAK WATER LEVELS WILL
BE IN THE FROM NEAR MIDNIGHT TO 6 AM FOR FORT MYERS...NEAR 3 AM TO
9 AM FOR TAMPA BAY...AND NEAR 8 AM TO 2 PM 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 ACROSS THE REGION 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 10 PM EDT...
FORT MYERS PAGE FIELD...4.15 INCHES
PUNTA GORDA...3.88 INCHES
FORT MYERS SOUTHWEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...3.40 INCHES
BUCKINGHAM...3.60 INCHES
NOCATEE...3.48 INCHES
NORTH PORT...3.34 INCHES
FORT OGDEN...3.74 INCHES
SARASOTA...2.83 INCHES
ST. PETERSBURG ALBERT WHITTED...1.78 INCHES
TAMPA INTERNATIONAL...1.48 INCHES

...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
THROUGH SUNDAY 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. 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 BY 530 AM SUNDAY OR EARLIER SHOULD
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

$$

PRC

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