Hurricane Local Statement

A Hurricane Local Statement is a weather statement produced for the public by local Weather Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service in or near an area affected or forecast to be affected by a tropical storm or hurricane which provides an overview of the storm's local effects, including expected weather conditions, evacuation decisions made by local officials, and precautions necessary to protect life and property.[1]

These statements are meant to complement statements released by the National Hurricane Center, which is focused on regional effects of tropical storms & hurricanes. Hurricane local statements will generally provide a condensed version of storm information provided in NHC advisories, while expanding on the local impacts of the storm and actions made by local officials in response to the storm.[2]

According to the National Hurricane Center, local hurricane statements generally present the following:[2]

Example

The following Hurricane Local Statement was issued by the National Weather Service office in Key West, Florida prior to the arrival of Hurricane Wilma. [3]

“ 
105   
WTUS82 KEYW 232334 AAA  
HLSEYW  
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-240030-  
  
HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL  
735 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005  
   
..A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS  
   
..A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS  
  
..A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS  
  
..A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS  
 
  
..NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE  
 
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.  
WIND IMPACTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.  
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.  
   
..AREAS AFFECTED  
 
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY.  
   
..WATCHES AND WARNINGS  
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS   
INCLUDING DRY TORTUGAS AND FLORIDA BAY...AND ALL SURROUNDING WATERS.   
THIS MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS. A   
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS. A TORNADO WATCH   
IS IN EFFECT.  
   
..STORM INFORMATION  
  
AT 500 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR   
LATITUDE 23.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.9 WEST...ABOUT 210 MILES WEST   
SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 14   
MPH. A CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD MOTION AND A GRADUAL INCREASE IN   
FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED   
WINDS WERE NEAR 105 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY TWO   
HURRICANE. SOME INCREASE IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND EARLY   
MONDAY...AND WILMA COULD BE NEAR CATEGORY THREE STRENGTH AS IT NEARS   
THE SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA COAST. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL   
PRESSURE WAS 959 MB...OR 28.32 INCHES OF MERCURY.  
  
..PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS  
 
MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS HAVE RELEASED A   
SCHEDULE TO TERMINATE THE EVACUATION OF THE FLORIDA KEYS DUE TO   
HURRICANE WILMA. EVACUATIONS ENDED IN THE LOWER KEYS AND KEY WEST AS   
OF 5 PM. EVACUATIONS ARE TO END AT 6 PM IN THE MIDDLE KEYS INCLUDING   
MARATHON...AND AT 7 PM IN THE UPPER KEYS INCLUDING ISLAMORADA...KEY   
LARGO...OCEAN REEF...AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY. RESIDENTS AND   
MOTORISTS SHOULD SEEK SAFE AND STURDY SHELTER. RESIDENTS WHO HAVE   
NOT EVACUATED AND WHO DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THEIR HOMES...ESPECIALLY   
IN MOBILE HOMES...CAN GO TO A REFUGE OF LAST RESORT AS FOLLOWS...KEY   
WEST HIGH SCHOOL AT 2100 FLAGLER AVENUE...SUGARLOAF SCHOOL MILE   
MARKER 19...STANLEY SWITLIK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MILE MARKER 48...CORAL   
SHORES HIGH SCHOOL MILE MARKER 90...SHERATON KEY LARGO BEACH RESORT   
MILE MARKER 98 KEY LARGO...AND MARRIOT KEY LARGO BAY BEACH RESORT   
MILE MARKER 103 KEY LARGO. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY...THE CROWNE LA   
CONCHA HOTEL IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. OFFICIALS EMPHASIZE REFUGES OF   
LAST RESORT WILL NOT BE MANNED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS...AND   
THERE WILL BE NO SUPPLIES FOR EVACUEES. EVACUEES MUST BRING THEIR   
OWN WATER...BEDDING...AND SUPPLIES. NO PETS ARE PERMITTED AT REFUGES   
OF LAST RESORT. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES AND COURTS ARE TO BE CLOSED   
MONDAY AND TUESDAY. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE TO BE CLOSED MONDAY   
AND TUESDAY. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOL DAYTIME CUSTODIANS SHOULD REPORT   
TUESDAY. ALL CAMPUSES OF FLORIDA KEYS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE TO BE   
CLOSED MONDAY. THE CITY OF KEY WEST WILL ENACT A CURFEW FROM 10 PM   
SUNDAY TO 7 AM MONDAY. THERE IS ALSO A VOLUNTARY CURFEW ON ALCOHOL   
SALES AT LOCAL BARS.  
   
..WIND IMPACTS  
  
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL ARRIVE ACROSS THE LOWER   
AND MIDDLE KEYS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS...AND ACROSS THE UPPER   
KEYS BY LATE THIS EVENING. CONDITIONS ARE DETERIORATING ACROSS THE   
LOWER KEYS AND DRIVING IS NO LONGER RECOMMENDED. RESIDENTS IN THE   
MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS HAVE JUST A FEW HOURS LEFT FOR EVACUATION.   
    
..MARINE IMPACTS  
  
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. AS THE STORM APPROACHES...WIND   
DIRECTION WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHEAST INITIALLY. AS WILMA PASSES JUST   
WEST AND NORTH OF THE KEYS...THE MAXIMUM WINDS WILL COME FROM THE   
SOUTHWEST THEN WEST.   
   
..STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS  
  
STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE ARE EXPECTED LATE   
TONIGHT. THEN AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE WEST MONDAY MORNING...STORM   
TIDES OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE INDICATED ON THE GULF SIDE AND   
THE BAY SIDE. HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR MONDAY AT 230 AM IN KEY   
WEST...123 AM AT VACA CUT...208 AM AT WHALE HARBOR...AND 217 AM THE   
TAVERNIER CREEK BRIDGE OVER ROUTE 1.  
   
..TORNADO IMPACTS  
  
ISOLATED TORNADOS EMBEDDED IN OUTER RAINBANDS ARE A SIGNIFICANT   
THREAT WITH HURRICANE WILMA. A VIOLENT WATERSPOUT WAS SPOTTED 5 NM   
WEST OF KEY WEST AT 4 PM. THE GREATEST THREAT OF TORNADOS WILL OCCUR   
FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING.   
   
..RAINFALL IMPACTS  
  
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE   
POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAINS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT   
AND MONDAY. SEVERE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU LIVE IN A HIGHLY   
FLOOD-PRONE AREA TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY.   
  
..NEXT UPDATE  
 
THE NEXT HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 830   
PM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY   
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.
”

See also

References

  1. ↑ "H". National Weather Service Glossary. National Weather Service.
  2. 1 2 "NHC Tropical Cyclone Text Product Descriptions". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  3. ↑ FUTTERMAN; DEVANAS (23 October 2005). "HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS". College of DuPage. national Weather Service. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/12/2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.