000 WTUS82 KTAE 020417 HLSTAE FLZ018-019-027>029-034-GMZ730-765-020815- TROPICAL STORM BARRY LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 1217 AM EDT SAT JUN 2 2007 ...TROPICAL STORM BARRY MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA... ...NEW INFORMATION... NONE. ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE EASTERN FLORIDA BIG BEND AND NORTH FLORIDA AREAS. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM BONITA BEACH NORTHWARD TO KEATON BEACH. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA BIG BEND FROM NORTH OF KEATON BEACH TO SAINT MARKS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 11 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BARRY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.9 WEST OR ABOUT 270 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TAMPA FLORIDA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED AT 997 MB...OR 29.44 INCHES. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... PREPARATIONS SHOULD ALREADY BE UNDER WAY IN THE WARNED AREA...AS WINDY CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE COASTS OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTY BY LATE THIS MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON. LOOSE LAWN FURNITURE SHOULD BE SECURED BEFORE THE ONSET OF HIGHER WINDS. LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE ADVICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ABOUT PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS IN YOUR AREA. ...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE... AS OF 1130 PM EDT...THE TIDE WAS NEAR NORMAL AT CEDAR KEY AND HALF A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL AT APALACHICOLA. IF BARRY FOLLOWS THE FORECAST TRACK AND MAKES LANDFALL NEAR CEDAR KEY...THE WIND ACROSS APALACHEE BAY WILL BE FROM AN OFFSHORE DIRECTION...RESULTING IN NO APPRECIABLE RISE IN TIDES. HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THAT BARRY COULD MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE COAST OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...WHICH WOULD CAUSE STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET NEAR AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE STORM CENTER CROSSES THE COAST. STORM TIDES ARE THE COMBINATION OF STORM SURGE AND THE ASTRONOMICAL TIDES. SELECTED TIMES OF HIGH AND LOW TIDE FOR THE FLORIDA BIG BEND ARE... SAINT MARKS...HIGH TIDE AT 423 AM EDT SATURDAY...LOW TIDE AT 912 AM EDT SATURDAY...HIGH TIDE AT 301 PM EDT SATURDAY. STEINHATCHEE RIVER ENTRANCE...HIGH TIDE AT 431 AM EDT SATURDAY...LOW TIDE AT 939 AM EDT SATURDAY...HIGH TIDE AT 258 PM EDT SATURDAY. SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE...HIGH TIDE AT 420 AM EDT SATURDAY...LOW TIDE AT 928 AM EDT SATURDAY...HIGH TIDE AT 247 PM EDT. ...WINDS... WIND TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE APPEAR MOST LIKELY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREAS OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES. GUSTS OF 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...WHICH CAN KNOCK DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES AND BLOW AROUND LOOSE LAWN FURNITURE. FURTHER INLAND...GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ...INLAND FLOODING... SOME MUCH NEEDED RAIN WILL COME OUT OF THIS STORM...WITH WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS THE EASTERN FLORIDA BIG BEND AND NORTH FLORIDA AREAS...AND ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE. THIS WILL LIKELY BE A STEADY RAIN AS OPPOSED TO A SHORT TERM DELUGE...SO WIDESPREAD FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND RIVERS IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 4 AM EDT.. $$ FOURNIER