000 WTUS82 KTAE 090553 HLSTAE ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-090930- HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 152 AM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005 ...A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER WESTWARD... ...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT SOUTH OF THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND. ...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION... A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF WALTON...BAY...GULF...FRANKLIN...WAKULLA...JEFFERSON AND TAYLOR. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR DIXIE COUNTY. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 1 AM EDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED BY THE KEY WEST RADAR NEAR LATITUDE 23.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.3 WEST...OR ABOUT ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION SHOULD MOVE DENNIS AWAY FROM CUBA...AND BRING THE CENTER TO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 110 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO RE-INTENSIFY INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT MOVES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 65 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 962 MB OR 28.41 INCHES. ...WIND IMPACTS... BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE ALONG THE COAST FROM DOG ISLAND AND SAINT GEORGE ISLAND TONIGHT. GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE WINDS COULD REACH THE COAST SUNDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE AND EVENTUALLY HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL PUSH INLAND OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. IF THE TRACK OF DENNIS TURNS SLIGHTLY TO THE EAST...THE FLORIDA BIG BEND COULD RECEIVE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. ...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL INFORMATION... SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL WILL OCCUR OVER A LARGE SWATH AS THE HURRICANE MOVES INLAND. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS LIKELY TO FALL OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM THE APALACHICOLA RIVER WESTWARD AND INTO SOUTHEAST ALABAMA WHERE TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA MAY SEE 3 TO 5 INCHES. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... THE STORM SURGE SHOULD BEGIN ALONG THE COAST EARLY SUNDAY. IF THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE MOVES INLAND OVER THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE AS A MAJOR HURRICANE...STORM TIDES WILL BE EXTREME OVER THE PANHANDLE COAST. SURGES FROM SAINT GEORGE ISLAND EASTWARD ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND COAST WOULD LIKELY BE IN THE 6 TO 8 FOOT RANGE. EXPOSED BARRIER ISLAND AND PENINSULAS INCLUDING CAPE SAN BLAS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE LARGE DAMAGING WAVE ACTION AND EROSION. NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE AS FOLLOWS... APALACHICOLA... TODAY...LOW 12:22 PM...HIGH 8:07 AM AND 5:18 PM. SUNDAY...LOW 1:14 AM AND 1:09 PM...HIGH 8:22 AM AND 6:07 PM. PORT SAINT JOE... TODAY...HIGH 12:19 PM...LOW 10:49 PM. SUNDAY...HIGH 12:40 PM...LOW 10:51 PM. PANAMA CITY... TODAY...HIGH 11:46 AM...LOW 10:29 PM. SUNDAY...HIGH 12:07 AM...LOW 10:31 PM. DESTIN... TODAY...LOW 12:50 AM...HIGH 12:16 PM. SUNDAY...LOW 1:00 AM...HIGH 12:37 PM. ...RIP CURRENTS... DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ARE LIKELY TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY DUE TO INCREASING SURF AND WINDS. ...TORNADO THREAT... TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. AS DENNIS MOVES NORTHWEST TOWARD THE AREA...TORNADO WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED. THE GREATEST THREAT IS NORMALLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE HURRICANE. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... COASTAL RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND SHOULD BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE HURRICANE CONDITIONS DEVELOPING WITHIN 36 HOURS. RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AREAS NEAR THE COAST PRONE TO STORM SURGE FLOODING SHOULD HEED THE ADVICE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS AND BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE IF REQUESTED. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 530 AM EDT. $$ 8-JAMSKI