[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KJAN 100413
HLSJAN
MSZ025>033-036>039-042>046-048>052-054>058-062>066-072>074-100715-

HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1113 PM CDT SAT JUL 9 2005

...DANGEROUS DENNIS CONTINUES STRENGTHENING AS HE HEADS TOWARD THE
CENTRAL GULF COAST...

...INLAND HURRICANE WARNINGS AND INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS HAVE
BEEN ISSUED FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI...

...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 HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI.  THIS INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF CLARKE...FORREST...
JASPER...JONES...KEMPER...LAMAR...LAUDERDALE...NESHOBA...AND NEWTON.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY
EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN
MISSISSIPPI.  THIS INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF ATTALA...CARROLL...
CHOCTAW...CLAY...COPIAH...COVINGTON...GRENADA...HINDS...HOLMES...
JEFFERSON DAVIS...LAWRENCE...LEAKE...LEFLORE...LINCOLN...LOWNDES...
MADISON...MARION...MONTGOMERY...NOXUBEE...OKTIBBEHA...RANKIN...
SCOTT...SIMPSON...SMITH...WEBSTER...WINSTON...YAZOO...

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 1000 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST.  THIS IS ABOUT 340 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF BILOXI...AND APPROXIMATELY 400 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
HATTIESBURG.

DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MILES AN HOUR.  A
GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT OR
SUNDAY.  THIS MOTION WILL BRING THE CENTER OF DENNIS ONSHORE ALONG
THE CENTRAL GULF COAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN 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 941 MILLIBARS...
OR 27.79 INCHES.

ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...WHICH WOULD MAKE
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 FINALIZE PREPARATIONS FOR
TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...AS WELL AS 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 HIGHER THAN HURRICANE
FORCE...ARE ANTICIPATED TO DEVELOP AFTER 500 PM SUNDAY OVER SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI.  GUSTS OF 70 TO 80 MILES AN HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE
ROUGHLY SOUTHEAST OF A PURVIS TO BAY SPRINGS TO NEWTON TO DE KALB
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 THE REMAINDER
OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN 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 A CATEGORY 4 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 200
AM CDT.

$$

BUTTS

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