000 WTUS84 KCRP 240508 HLSCRP GMZ235-255-275-TXZ234-244>247-241000- HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 1200 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005 ...DANGEROUS HURRICANE RITA NEAR LANDFALL... ...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF ARANSAS...CALHOUN... REFUGIO...SAN PATRICIO AND VICTORIA COUNTIES... ...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT... THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER CONTINUES TO SHOW HURRICANE RITA MAKING LANDFALL NEAR THE TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM PORT O'CONNOR TO PORT ARANSAS. THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING INCLUDES ARANSAS... CALHOUN...REFUGIO...AND EXTREME EASTERN SAN PATRICIO COUNTY. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CALHOUN AND VICTORIA COUNTIES. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT MIDNIGHT CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.5 WEST...OR ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS AT THE TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER. RITA CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWEST NEAR 11 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL LANDFALL. ON THIS TRACK...MOST OF THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE RITA WILL REMAIN WELL NORTH OF THE COASTAL BEND OF TEXAS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA REMAINS A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... ...EVACUATION INFORMATION... A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW LYING AREAS OF CALHOUN COUNTY. A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR VICTORIA COUNTY. BEACHES ALONG THE BARRIER ISLANDS...INCLUDING PORT ARANSAS AND THE PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE...REMAIN CLOSED. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... LONG PERIOD SWELLS FROM HURRICANE RITA CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO THE OFFSHORE WATERS WITH SEAS OF 16 TO 20 FEET OCCURRING 20 TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE UP TO 20 TO 22 FEET TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF THE OFFSHORE GULF WATERS. TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING TWO TO THREE FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST...FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. WATER REMAINS UP TO THE DUNES IN MANY LOCATIONS ON THE BARRIER ISLANDS...INCLUDING PORT ARANSAS. ALSO...WATER HAS BEEN REPORTED INTO THE DITCHES ON OCEAN DRIVE IN MAGNOLIA BEACH. HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR AT PORT OCONNOR EARLY SATURDAY MORNING ALONG THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST. THIS TIDE IN COMBINATION WITH SWELLS FROM RITA WILL PUSH TOTAL TIDE LEVELS AS HIGH AS 2 TO 4 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL IN THE BAYS WITH HIGHER TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL POSSIBLE ON THE GULF SIDE OF THE BARRIER ISLAND AT PORT OCONNOR AND PORTIONS OF MATAGORDA ISLAND TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING. ALONG THE BARRIER ISLAND TIDE LEVELS OF 4 TO 6 FEET WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SOME AREAS IN PORT OCONNOR. SOME LOW LYING AREAS OF MAGNOLIA BEACH WILL ALSO BE FLOODED. IN ADDITION...PORTIONS OF MATAGORDA ISLAND WILL BE FLOODED AS WELL AS AREAS OF THE ARANSAS WILDLIFE REFUGE. SOME FLOODING IN THE INDIANOLA AREA WILL ALSO OCCUR. IN THE BAYS AT 4 FEET...WATER IS ABOUT 1/4 MILE INLAND IN EXTREME SOUTHERN PART OF ROCKPORT. LOW SPOTS ON HIGHWAY 35 BETWEEN ARANSAS PASS AND ROCKPORT BECOME FLOODED. IN ADDITION...LARGE BREAKING WAVES WILL PRODUCE VERY ROUGH SURF AND A GREATER RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES. SWIMMING OR SURFING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED. A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FARTHER SOUTH FROM PORT ARANSAS TO BAFFIN BAY. ...WIND IMPACTS... SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN COASTAL BEND THROUGH MIDDAY SATURDAY. GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL ALSO OCCUR...PRIMARILY ACROSS VICTORIA AND CALHOUN COUNTIES. RESIDENTS SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE BLOWN ABOUT BY THE WIND...ESPECIALLY THOSE NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST. ...RAINFALL... THERE IS STILL A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR OUTER RAINBANDS TO AFFECT THE FAR NORTHERN COASTAL BEND AND ADJACENT GULF WATERS THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER CALHOUN AND VICTORIA COUNTIES. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH THROUGH SATURDAY. THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 5 AM. $$ DUNN