000 WTUS82 KTAE 101826 HLSTAE FLZ008-012-014-015-027-102230- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TROPICAL STORM ARLENE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 224 PM EDT FRI JUN 10 2005 ...A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER TO PANAMA CITY FLORIDA... ...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA TO ST MARKS FLORIDA... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE INCLUDING WALTON...BAY...GULF...FRANKLIN...AND WAKULLA COUNTIES. ...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION... A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE EASTWARD TO PANAMA CITY. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND EASTWARD TO ST MARKS. A FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 1 PM CDT...TROPICAL STORM WAS CENTERED NEAR LATITUDE 25.0 DEGREES NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.0 DEGREES WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA...OR ABOUT 325 MILES SOUTH OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA. ARLENE WAS MOVING NORTH NEAR 13 MPH AND A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...ALONG WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. THE HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 60 MPH. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND ARLENE COULD REACH HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE LANDFALL. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. THE CENTER OF ARLENE IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL NEAR MOBILE ALABAMA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...MOST OF THE BAD WEATHER...IN THE FORM OF HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WINDS...WILL OCCUR EAST OF THE CENTER. ...WIND IMPACTS... TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AND ON SATURDAY...MAINLY IN THE HEAVIER SQUALLS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND THE EXTREME WESTERN PORTIONS OF APALACHEE BAY. WINDS ALONG THE COAST WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...WITH WIND GUSTS TO 40 OR 50 MPH POSSIBLE IN SOME OF THE HEAVIER RAIN BANDS. THESE WINDS COULD BE HIGHER IF ARLENE STRENGTHENS OR MOVES FARTHER EAST THAN FORECAST. ...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...WITH RIVER FLOODING LIKELY TO FOLLOW AFTER THAT. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... IF THE STORM FOLLOWS THE FORECAST TRACK...THE STORM SURGE WILL BE ABOUT 2 TO 3 FEET. IF ARLENE INTENSIFIES AND MAKES LANDFALL FARTHER EAST IN THE WATCH AREA...THEN THE STORM SURGE COULD BE 4 TO 6 FEET...WHICH COULD CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND COASTAL FLOODING. CURRENTLY TIDES ARE RUNNING A FOOT OR LESS ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST. LOCAL TIDES FOR TODAY AND SATURDAY ARE AS FOLLOWS... ST MARKS... TONIGHT: LOW 11:44 PM SATURDAY: HIGH 6:20 AM...LOW 11:11 AM EDT APALACHICOLA... TONIGHT: 5:16 PM EDT SATURDAY: LOW 1:46 AM EDT...HIGH 9:26 AM EDT...LOW 1:30 PM EDT 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 A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY...AND A HIGH RISK ON 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 DUE TO STRONG WIND GUSTS. 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 530 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON. $$ FOURNIER/WOOL