[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KMOB 100753
HLSMOB
ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-101100-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
250 AM CDT SUN JUL 10 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE DENNIS STRENGTHENS TO A
CATEGORY 4 STORM. PEOPLE WHO WANT TO EVACUATE NEED TO DO SO
IMMEDIATELY..

...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALABAMA AND
NORTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COASTS...

...AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...

...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR CONECUH...BUTLER...
COVINGTON...CRENSHAW AND ESCAMBIA COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND
FOR ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST
FLORIDA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS
OF THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA
AND FOR PORTIONS OF INLAND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREAS OF MOBILE
AND BALDWIN COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...AS WELL AS ESCAMBIA...
SANTA ROSA...AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES IN THE EXTREME WESTERN FLORIDA
PANHANDLE.  INLAND HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE
INLAND PORTIONS OF MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES IN ALABAMA...AND THE
INLAND PORTIONS OF ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES IN
THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.  AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT
FOR CLARKE...CONECUH...ESCAMBIA...MONROE...CHOCTAW...WILCOX AND
WASHINGTON COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND FOR WAYNE...GREENE
AND GEORGE COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. AN INLAND TROPICAL
STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR BUTLER...CRENSHAW AND COVINGTON
COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND PERRY AND STONE COUNTIES IN
INLAND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FOR
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND THE EXTREME
WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 230 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 27.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.0 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 225
MILES SOUTHEAST OF GULF SHORES ALABAMA.  REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 145 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES DENNIS
A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS
IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY BEFORE LANDFALL.  THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER IS 934 MB...27.58 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SHELTERS ARE OPEN IN MANY AREAS...PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EMA
OFFICE...WATCH LOCAL TV OR LISTEN TO RADIO FOR LOCATIONS OF THESE
SHELTERS.  SOME TYPE OF EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN ORDERED FOR ALL OF THE
COASTAL COUNTIES.  IF YOU LIVE NEAR THE WATER AND ARE ORDERED TO
EVACUATE...DO SO.  THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE AND
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO EVACUATE NEED TO DO SO IMMEDIATELY.  EVERY
HURRICANE IS DIFFERENT AND JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE IT THROUGH
OTHER STORMS WITH VERY LITTLE DAMAGE...DO NOT ASSUME THAT DENNIS WILL
BE THE SAME. DON'T BE A STATISTIC.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES WILL OCCUR AROUND MIDDAY SUNDAY. COMBINED
WITH SURGE...THE LATTER COULD RESULT IN A TOTAL STORM SURGE
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 11 AND 16 FEET.  THIS IS ESPECIALLY THE CASE JUST
TO THE EAST OF WHERE DENNIS MAKES LANDFALL. THE LATEST FORECAST
PLACES THE GREATEST STORM SURGE HAZARD FROM GULF SHORES EAST TO
ESCAMBIA BAY.  THIS WILL RESULT IN MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ALONG
THE IMMEDIATE COAST.  THESE SURGE HEIGHTS COULD BE HIGHER THAN
THOSE PRODUCED BY HURRICANE IVAN OF 2004.  RESIDENTS OF MOBILE BAY
SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN ABREAST OF THIS SITUATION...BECAUSE IF
DENNIS' TRACK SHIFTS ANY FARTHER TO THE WEST OVERNIGHT...MOBILE BAY
FORECAST STORM SURGE VALUES COULD INCREASE TO THE 11 TO 16 FEET
RANGE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
GIVEN THE CURRENT TRACK AND INTENSITY FORECAST...THE WINDS FROM
DENNIS WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER THAN HURRICANE IVAN OF 2004. TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 MPH OR GREATER WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE
COASTAL AREAS VERY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...WHICH WILL MAKE DRIVING
CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...75 MPH OR GREATER...
WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE AREA AROUND MIDDAY SUNDAY AND PERSIST
THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING.  DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO POSSIBLY BE A CATEGORY
4 HURRICANE AT LANDFALL.  THIS WOULD RESULT IN EXTREME DAMAGE TO
STRUCTURES. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL SPREAD INTO THE INLAND
COUNTIES THIS EVENING WITH THE HIGHEST WINDS BEING NEAR THE CENTER
AND JUST TO THE EAST OF DENNIS.

...RIP CURRENTS AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS...
STAY OUT OF THE WATER.  HURRICANE CONDITIONS WILL PRECLUDE
RECREATIONAL BEACH ACTIVITY. PEOPLE ARE DISCOURAGED FROM SWIMMING...
SURFING AND RECREATIONAL BOATING UNTIL DENNIS MOVES WELL EAST OF THE
AREA. DO NOT GO BACK INTO THE WATER TOO EARLY...AS RESIDUAL RIP
CURRENTS WILL REMAIN.

WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH
ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 15 INCHES POSSIBLE AS DENNIS MAKES LANDFALL
AND MOVES INLAND. GROUND CONDITIONS ARE STILL VERY MOIST DUE TO
HEAVY RAINFALL FROM TROPICAL STORM CINDY AND THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE PAST WEEK. THIS WILL PROMOTE
MORE RUNOFF AND RESULT IN A DANGEROUS FLASH FLOOD SITUATION AS DENNIS
MOVES INLAND. IF FLOODING IS ENCOUNTERED...REMEMBER TO TURN AROUND
AND DON'T DROWN.

...TORNADO THREAT...
THE TORNADO THREAT HAS INCREASED EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 THIS MORNING
AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS DENNIS MOVES FURTHER WESTWARD.
USUALLY...THE GREATEST THREAT FOR HURRICANE INDUCED TORNADOES IS IN
THE OUTER RAINBANDS NORTHEAST OF THE STORM'S CENTER.  THE THREAT
WILL SHIFT WESTWARD TODAY AS THE CENTER OF DENNIS MOVES
NORTHWEST. THE SECOND TORNADO THREAT WILL BE CONCENTRATED AROUND THE
EYE DURING LANDFALL. OBVIOUSLY...THIS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON. STAY
TUNED FOR POSSIBLE TORNADO WARNINGS LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH
LATE SUNDAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND
600 AM.

$$

BEELER

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