[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KBMX 101321
HLSBMX
ALZ011>015-017>050-101600-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
821 AM CDT SUN JUL 10 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE DENNIS BEARING DOWN ON THE NORTHERN
GULF OF MEXICO COAST...

...INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SUMTER AND MARENGO
FROM NOON CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY...

...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM NOON CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
FROM NOON CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY...

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF EASTERN ALABAMA FROM NOON
CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY...

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PIKE AND BARBOUR COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST
ALABAMA THROUGH 2 PM CDT...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT PERTAINS TO ALL CENTRAL ALABAMA COUNTIES SERVICED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SUMTER AND MARENGO
FROM NOON CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY.

INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM NOON CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
FROM NOON CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY.

WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF EASTERN ALABAMA FROM NOON
CDT TODAY THROUGH NOON CDT MONDAY

TORNADO WATCH FOR PIKE AND BARBOUR COUNTIES THROUGH 2 PM CDT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM CDT...1300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 28.7 NORTH... LONGITUDE 86.4 WEST OR ABOUT 125 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 175 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI.

OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS DENNIS HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR
16 MPH...ALTHOUGH A NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
RESUME LATER TODAY. ON THIS FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF THE
HURRICANE WILL CROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST LATE THIS
AFTERNOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS
IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SATELLITE
AND AIRCRAFT OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT THE EARLIER INTENSIFICATION
TREND MAY BE ENDING. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY PRIOR
TO LANDFALL.

AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE ESTIMATED A MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE OF 930 MB...27.46 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SECURE ALL LOOSE OBJECTS...SUCH AS PATIO FURNITURE AND TRASH
CANS...OR MOVE THEM INDOORS. BRING YOUR PETS INDOORS. FLOODING...
ESPECIALLY FLASH FLOODING...WILL BE A PROBLEM DUE TO THE VERY
HEAVY RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH DENNIS. FLOODING CAN BE
ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT...WHERE WATER CAN QUICKLY FLOOD
ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...VISIBILITIES ARE
LIMITED IN THE DARK. DO NOT TRY TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS...TURN
AROUND...DON'T DROWN.

SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE ANTICIPATED WITH THE CURRENT FORECAST
TRACK OF DENNIS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST COUNTIES OF
SUMTER...GREENE...HALE...PERRY...AND MARENGO. IF THE POWER OUTAGES
LAST FOR ANY DURATION AND A GENERATOR IS NECESSARY...PLEASE REMEMBER
THAT GENERATOR USE INDOORS CAN BE DEADLY DUE TO THE CARBON MONOXIDE
GAS PRODUCED. GENERATORS SHOULD NOT BE USED INDOORS...BUT IF NO
ALTERNATIVE EXISTS...USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OPERATING GENERATORS
INDOORS AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE VENTILATION FOR THE MACHINE.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES
LATER THIS MORNING AS OUTER RAIN BANDS MOVE NORTHWARD INTO
SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA.

FOR SOUTHWEST AREAS...WINDS GUSTS OF 70 TO 90 MILES AN HOUR
ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION. THE COUNTIES MOST AT
RISK FOR THE HIGH WINDS ARE SUMTER...MARENGO...GREENE...HALE...
PERRY...AND DALLAS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL START THIS EVENING AND
WILL LAST INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE DURATION OF THE STRONGEST
WINDS WILL BE 8 TO 12 HOURS. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MILES AN HOUR MAY BE
EXPERIENCED BEGINNING LATE THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTER
RAIN BANDS.

FOR LOCATIONS IN THE INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING...WIND GUSTS TO 60
MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE OUTER RAIN BANDS. THE OUTER
RAIN BANDS WILL AFFECT THE AREA FROM LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY
MONDAY MORNING.

FOR LOCATIONS IN THE WIND ADVISORY AREA...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MILES
AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OUTER RAIN BANDS.
THE OUTER RAIN BANDS WILL AFFECT THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
EARLY MONDAY.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF HURRICANE DENNIS...5 TO 8
INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY.  RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE
PAST FEW WEEKS HAS LED TO SATURATED GROUND CONDITIONS...AND ANY
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF AND FLASH
FLOODING.

WITH ABOVE NORMAL RIVER FLOW IN MANY LOCATIONS...HEAVY RAINFALL
IN ASSOCIATION WITH HURRICANE DENNIS WILL AGGRAVATE RIVER CONDITIONS.
RIVER FLOODING COULD BECOME A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM BY MONDAY ACROSS
CENTRAL ALABAMA AND WILL LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE
QUICK ACTION WHEN AND IF THE WATERS BEGIN RISING.

...TORNADO THREAT...
THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL INCREASE ACROSS SOUTH
ALABAMA THIS MORNING...AND THE THREAT WILL SPREAD TO CENTRAL
ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON.  THIS TORNADO THREAT WILL GENERALLY
BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTER RAIN BANDS OF HURRICANE DENNIS.
THE TORNADO THREAT WILL EXIST THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. IF THESE
TORNADOES DUE DEVELOP...THEY WILL LIKELY BE RAIN WRAPPED. TORNADO
WATCHES ARE ANTICIPATED FOR A LARGE PART OF THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING.

...ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...
THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SET UP A HOT LINE
FOR ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION IN SOUTH ALABAMA.  THE ACCESS NUMBER
IS 1-888-588-2848.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM WILL NOT ISSUE ANY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS DURING THIS TROPICAL SYSTEM. THE WIND
WARNINGS IN PLACE NOW WILL COVER THE THREAT OF HIGH WINDS...OR
WILL BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY. IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS BANDING FEATURES...SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENTS WILL BE
ISSUED. IF ROTATION IS OBSERVED...TORNADO WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE TO
BE ISSUED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE
ISSUED BY 11 AM CDT THIS MORNING.
&&

$$

LINHARES



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