000 WTUS82 KTAE 020633 HLSTAE FLZ017>019-027>029-034-GMZ730-765-021100- TROPICAL STORM BARRY LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 233 AM EDT SAT JUN 2 2007 ...TROPICAL STORM BARRY MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA... ...BARRY FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL LATER TODAY ALONG 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 REMAINS 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 2 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BARRY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.6 WEST OR ABOUT 240 MILES SOUTH 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. BARRY IS NOW IN A RATHER UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR TROPICAL CYCLONES...AND A GRADUAL WEAKENING TREND IS EXPECTED. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE NEAR COMPLETION 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 AND GARBAGE CANS 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 2 AM 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 REMAIN OUT OF THE NORTHEAST. THIS OFFSHORE DIRECTION WOULD RESULT IN NO APPRECIABLE RISE IN TIDES ALONG THE APALACHEE BAY COAST. 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... IF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS DO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA...THEY WILL MOST LIKELY OCCUR ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES. GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...WHICH CAN KNOCK DOWN A FEW TREES...LIMBS...AND POWER LINES...AND BLOW AROUND LOOSE LAWN FURNITURE AND GARBAGE CANS. FURTHER INLAND...GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD MAKE IT TO THE DIXIE AND TAYLOR COUNTY COAST BY EARLY AFTERNOON. ...INLAND FLOODING... SOME MUCH NEEDED RAIN WILL COME OUT OF THIS STORM...WITH WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE EASTERN FLORIDA BIG BEND AND NORTH FLORIDA AREA...AND ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE. THIS WILL LIKELY BE A STEADY SOAKING RAIN AS OPPOSED TO A SHORT TERM DELUGE...SO WIDESPREAD FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND CREEKS IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 7 AM EDT. $$