000 WTUS82 KTAE 101321 HLSTAE FLZ008-012-014-101630- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 817 AM EDT FRI JUN 10 2005 ...TROPICAL STORM ARLENE EMERGING INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO... ...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE INCLUDING WALTON...BAY...AND GULF COUNTIES. ...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION... A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE COAST EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS IN GULF COUNTY. A FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 7 AM CDT...TROPICAL STORM ARLENE WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 22.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.8 WEST...OR ABOUT 490 MILES SOUTH OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA. ARLENE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 55 MPH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE WINDS ARE CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER...AND THAT THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THIS STORM WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. THE CENTER OF ARLENE IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL SOMEWHERE IN THE WATCH AREA SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY MORNING AS A STRONG TROPICAL STORM. HOWEVER...MOST OF THE BAD WEATHER WILL OCCUR EAST OF THE CENTER. ...WIND IMPACTS... SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY...MAINLY IN A FEW SQUALLS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THE WINDS AT THE COAST WILL BE 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH ON SATURDAY...UNLESS THE STORM MOVES FARTHER EAST THAN EXPECTED. THIS IS STILL POSSIBLE...WHICH IS WHY A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED. IF ARLENE MAKES LANDFALL FARTHER EAST OR INTENSIFIES MORE THAN EXPECTED THEN WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH COULD AFFECT THE COAST. ...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL INFORMATION... EVEN THOUGH THE CENTER OF ARLENE IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL WEST OF THE PANHANDLE...FLOODING IS STILL THE MAJOR CONCERN. WIDESPREAD STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE IN THE 3 TO 5 INCH RANGE...WITH SOME HEAVIER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THIS COULD CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... IF THE STORM FOLLOWS THE FORECAST TRACK...THE STORM SURGE WILL BE ABOUT 1 TO 2 FEET. IF ARLENE MAKES LANDFALL FARTHER EAST IN THE WATCH AREA...THEN THE STORM SURGE WILL BE NEAR 4 FEET...WHICH COULD CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND SOME COASTAL FLOODING. LOCAL TIDES FOR TODAY AND SATURDAY ARE AS FOLLOWS... PORT ST. JOE... TONIGHT: LOW 11:53 PM SATURDAY: HIGH 1:12 PM SAINT ANDREW BAY AT PANAMA CITY... TODAY: HIGH 12:08 PM...LOW 11:33 PM. SATURDAY: HIGH 12:39 PM...LOW 11:53 PM. ...RIP CURRENTS... ONSHORE WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS WILL SUPPORT STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT RIP CURRENTS TODAY AND SATURDAY. ...TORNADO THREAT... ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS ARLENE APPROACHES THE GULF COAST. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN NOW BEFORE THE WEATHER DETERIORATES. STORE LOOSE ITEMS SUCH AS TRASH CANS OR YARD FURNITURE. POWER OUTAGES MAY OCCUR OVER AREAS AFFECTED BY TROPICAL STORM WINDS. STOCK UP ON BATTERIES...FLASHLIGHTS...WATER...AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD. HAVE CASH ON HAND...AS CREDIT CARDS AND ATM MACHINES MAY NOT WORK WITHOUT POWER. BOATS SHOULD BE MOVED TO A SAFE LOCATION. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY 1130 AM CDT THIS MORNING. $$ FOURNIER