000
WTUS82 KMLB 252209
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
260400-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
555 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005

...HURRICANE KATRINA AIMING FOR LANDFALL ALONG THE LOWER SOUTHEAST
COAST THIS EVENING...

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE WARNINGS FOR MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...AND INDIAN RIVER
COUNTIES DOWNGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 PM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.9 WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES EAST
OF FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA. KATRINA IS MOVING SLOWLY TO THE WEST AT
6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS...
MAKING KATRINA A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE MAIN THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE KATRINA...AS IT IMPACTS
EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...WILL BE A MODERATE FLOOD THREAT FOR HEAVY
RAIN...ALONG WITH THE THREAT FOR LOCALIZED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.
RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR THESE HAZARDS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THE THREAT FOR SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS HAS DIMINISHED
ACROSS MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...AND INDIAN RIVER COUNTIES. HOWEVER...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH...IN THE
WARNING AREAS. WINDS WILL BE HIGHEST DURING PASSING SQUALLS. THESE
WINDS COULD DAMAGE AWNINGS...BLOW DOWN TREES OR LARGE LIMBS CAUSING
POWER OUTAGES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
DUE TO THE SLOW FORWARD MOTION OF KATRINA...HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS SYSTEM. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE...RESULTING IN A MODERATE
FLOOD THREAT ACROSS MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...AND OKEECHOBEE COUNTIES.
THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO FRIDAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE VALUES ARE
EXPECTED TO BE UP TO 3 FEET IN MARTIN COUNTY...DECREASING TO 2 FEET
OR LESS NORTHWARD TO TITUSVILLE.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A LOW THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES WITHIN RAINBANDS THIS
EVENING INTO FRIDAY. THE THREAT AREA WILL BE MAINLY FOCUSED ON THE
IMMEDIATE COAST...AND IN VICINITY OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE KATRINA WILL BE ISSUED AROUND
MIDNIGHT...OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION IF THIS STATEMENT...GO TO THE NWS MELBOURNE
WEB PAGE AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MLB.

$$

DWS