000 WTUS82 KTAE 021014 HLSTAE FLZ017>019-027>029-034-GMZ730-765-775-021400- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TROPICAL STORM BARRY LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 614 AM EDT SAT JUN 2 2007 ...POORLY ORGANIZED TROPICAL STORM BARRY APPROACHING 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. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM BONITA BEACH NORTHWARD TO KEATON BEACH. IN THIS CASE...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA LATER TODAY. 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 LATER TODAY. HOWEVER...IF BARRY CONTINUES TO TRACK FARTHER RIGHT THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECAST...THIS WATCH COULD BE DROPPED LATER THIS MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 5 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BARRY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.2 WEST OR ABOUT 180 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 FROM THE CENTER. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED AT 997 MB...OR 29.44 INCHES. WITH VERY DRY AIR AND STRONG WINDS IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...BARRY IS 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 COUNTIES 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 530 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 BETWEEN CEDAR KEY AND TAMPA...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. BARRY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE LANDFALL MUCH FARTHER NORTH THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST TO BRING STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET TO THE DIXIE COUNTY COAST...AS THESE TIDES WOULD OCCUR NEAR AND RIGHT OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. 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... AS OF 5 AM EDT...WINDS OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF WERE GENERALLY NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH INLAND WINDS ACROSS THE BIG BEND AROUND 10 MPH. IF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS DO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA...THEY WILL MOST LIKELY OCCUR NEAR THE COAST OF TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES. GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...WHICH CAN KNOCK DOWN A FEW TREES...LIMBS...AND POWER LINES...AND BLOW AROUND LOOSE LAWN FURNITURE AND GARBAGE CANS. THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD MAKE IT TO THE DIXIE AND TAYLOR COUNTY COAST BY LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON...BUT BARRY WILL HAVE TO MOVE FARTHER NORTH THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST. ...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...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 10 AM EDT. $$ FOURNIER