Friday, August 22, 2008

Tropical Storm Watch - Alabama Coast


URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM FAY LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1046 AM CDT FRI AUG 22 2008

...TROPICAL STORM FAY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST ALABAMA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...

.AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 40 MILES
NORTHEAST OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA.

FAY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 5 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST
TRACK...THE CENTER OF FAY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE CROSSING THE
NORTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY...THEN MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE ON SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...MAINLY
TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. SEVERAL STATIONS OVER NORTHEAST FLORIDA
ARE CURRENTLY REPORTING WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 996 MB...29.41 INCHES.

ALZ061>064-FLZ001>006-GMZ630-650-655-670-675-222200-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TR.A.1006.080822T1546Z-000000T0000Z/
UPPER MOBILE-UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE-LOWER BALDWIN-
INLAND ESCAMBIA-COASTAL ESCAMBIA-INLAND SANTA ROSA-
COASTAL SANTA ROSA-INLAND OKALOOSA-COASTAL OKALOOSA-MOBILE BAY-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
1046 AM CDT FRI AUG 22 2008

...TROPICAL STORM WATCH IN EFFECT...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...

THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED WESTWARD TO THE
MISSISSIPPI/ALABAMA BORDER.

...AREAS AFFECTED...

THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS
IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA...ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...AND OKALOOSA COUNTIES.

IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES.

THE GULF COASTAL WATERS OF ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
OFFSHORE FOR 60 NAUTICAL MILES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COASTAL WATERS FROM
DESTIN TO PASCAGOULA OFFSHORE FOR 60 NAUTICAL MILES.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA AND
OKALOOSA COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH
WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED FARTHER TO THE WEST TODAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 29.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 40 MILES
NORTHEAST OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA.

FAY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 5 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST
TRACK...THE CENTER OF FAY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE CROSSING THE
NORTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY...THEN MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE ON SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...MAINLY
TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. SEVERAL STATIONS OVER NORTHEAST FLORIDA
ARE CURRENTLY REPORTING WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 996 MB...29.41 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

RESIDENTS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BEGIN TROPICAL CYCLONE
PREPARATIONS TODAY. TAKE ACTION NOW TO SECURE PROPERTY...ESPECIALLY
AT BEACH FRONT HOMES AND WITH BOATS. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND
TELEVISION FOR DETAILS FOR THE LATEST EVACUATION INFORMATION.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK AND SPEED...MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL TIDE
HEIGHTS COULD REACH 3 TO 4 FEET IN SOME AREAS. AS THE CENTER OF FAY
MOVES WESTWARD ACROSS THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE SATURDAY...THE
MAXIMUM STORM TIDES WILL EFFECT THE COASTAL SECTIONS FROM DESTIN TO
PENSACOLA SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...AND FROM
PENSACOLA TO PASCAGOULA FROM SATURDAY NIGHT AND THROUGH THE DAY ON
SUNDAY. THE ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR DURING THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS BETWEEN 2 AM AND 5 AM.

...WINDS...

NORTHWEST WINDS AT 20 MPH WILL BECOME SOUTHEAST AND INCREASE TO NEAR
40 MPH AS THE CENTER OF FAY MOVES WESTWARD ACROSS THE COASTAL
COUNTIES. THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY TO OVERSPREAD THE
WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE SATURDAY EVENING...THEN MOBILE AND BALDWIN
COUNTIES BY SUNDAY MORNING.

...INLAND FLOODING...

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK OF FAY...EXCESSIVE RAINFALL CAN BE
EXPECTED TO BEGIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS
PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE.
SOME AREAS COULD SEE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 10 INCHES...WITH
LOCALIZED AREAS SEEING NEAR 15 INCHES AS FAY MOVES SLOWLY WEST ALONG
THE COAST.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT FLASH
FLOODING STARTING SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND LINGERING THROUGH LATE
SUNDAY...WITH WIDESPREAD FLOODING OF RIVERS AND STREAMS POSSIBLE WELL
INTO NEXT WEEK.

...TORNADOES...

THE RISK OF TORNADOES IN RAIN BANDS WILL INCREASE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY AS THE CENTER OF FAY MOVES ACROSS THE WESTERN FLORIDA
PANHANDLE. THE BANDS ON THE EAST SIDE OF FAY WILL BE MOST LIKELY TO
CONTAIN TORNADOES.

...RIP CURRENTS...

THE THREAT FOR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL INCREASE
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE CENTER OF FAY MOVES WEST ACROSS THE DESTIN
AND PENSACOLA AREAS. RIP CURRENTS ARE LIFE-THREATENING TO ANYONE
ENTERING THE SURF...AND SWIMMERS SHOULD NOT ENTER THE WATER UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES.

...NEXT UPDATE...

THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MOBILE BY 3 PM CDT.

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