000
WWUS72 KMLB 021503
NPWMLB

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1100 AM EDT THU SEP 2 2004

...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS LIKELY TO OVERSPREAD INTERIOR COUNTIES
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY NIGHT AS INTENSE HURRICANE FRANCES
HEADS TOWARD CENTRAL AND SOUTH FLORIDA...

HURRICANE FRANCES...CURRENTLY MOVING WEST NORTHWEST THROUGH THE
CENTRAL BAHAMAS...IS LOCATED ABOUT 520 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OKEECHOBEE
CITY...OR ABOUT 595 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ORLANDO. FRANCES CONTINUES TO
MOVE WEST NORTHWEST AT 13 MPH TOWARD THE STATE OF FLORIDA. FRANCES IS
CURRENTLY FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST MID
DAY SATURDAY. AS A RESULT...THE POTENTIAL FOR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
OVER THE INLAND COUNTIES IS INCREASING.

FLZ041-044>046-053-058-144-051200-
INLAND VOLUSIA-NORTHERN LAKE-OKEECHOBEE-ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-
SOUTHERN LAKE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLERMONT...DELAND...KISSIMMEE...
ST. CLOUD...LEESBURG...ORLANDO...SANFORD

...INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED AN INLAND
HURRICANE WIND WARNING FOR OKEECHOBEE...OSCEOLA...LAKE...ORANGE...
SEMINOLE AND INLAND VOLUSIA COUNTIES FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHT.

FRANCES IS A LARGE AND DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE AND CHANCES ARE INCREASING THAT THERE WILL BE A
SIGNIFICANT WIND EVENT FOR MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA.

THE CURRENT FORECAST BRINGS HURRICANE FORCE WINDS INTO OKEECHOBEE
COUNTY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...THEN SPREADING NORTHWEST INTO METRO
ORLANDO SATURDAY EVENING.

IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...OR A HOME THAT AFFORDS LITTLE
PROTECTION FROM FLYING GLASS AND DEBRIS...EVACUATE TO AN ALTERNATE
SHELTER.

MANY MOBILE HOMES WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE FROM THE
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING...AND POOL SCREENS
WILL OCCUR TO MANY PERMANENT HOMES. MANY LARGE BRANCHES WILL SNAP...
WITH WATER LOGGED TREES BECOMING UPROOTED AND FALLING ON STRUCTURES.

MOVE ANY OTHER LOOSE OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT CAN BE CARRIED AWAY BY THE
WIND INDOORS. LOOSE ITEMS WILL BECOME AIRBORNE MISSILES...RESULTING
IN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURIES. POWER LINES WILL BE BLOWN
DOWN AND EXTENSIVE LOCAL POWER OUTAGES CAN BE EXPECTED.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PREPAREDNESS AND OTHER ACTIONS
DURING HURRICANE CHARLEY REFER TO THE HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE AND THE
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.

$$

SK