000 WTUS82 KTAE 100312 HLSTAE ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>160-100630- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 1112 PM EDT SAT JUL 9 2005 ..A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER WESTWARD... ...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT SOUTH OF THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER... ...AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE INTERIOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE... ...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE INTERIOR FLORIDA BIG BEND... ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT (7 AM CDT) FOR MOST OF THE AREA... ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND EASTERN PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. ...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF WALTON...BAY...GULF...FRANKLIN...WAKULLA...JEFFERSON AND TAYLOR. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR DIXIE COUNTY. AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE INTERIOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE INTERIOR FLORIDA BIG BEND. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT (7 AM CDT) FOR ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT EXCEPT QUITMAN...RANDOLPH...TERRELL...LEE...TURNER AND BEN HILL. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 11 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST OR ABOUT 250 MILES SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY FLORIDA. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST BEFORE LANDFALL... AND DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE LATER TONIGHT OR ON SUNDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH DENNIS MAY OCCUR AS FAR AS 150 TO 175 MILES INLAND ALONG THE TRACK OF THE HURRICANE. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 941 MB OR 27.79 INCHES. ...WIND IMPACTS... BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE OVERNIGHT ALONG THE COAST FROM TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE TO SAINT GEORGE ISLAND...AND EXTEND BY SUNRISE FROM DESTIN TO SHELL POINT. GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE WINDS COULD REACH THE COAST LATE 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. OVER THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...3 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. ...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 SURGES WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 12 FEET FROM PANAMA CITY BEACH WEST THROUGH DESTIN...WITH 6 TO 8 FOOT SURGES EAST OF PANAMA CITY BEACH TO SAINT GEORGE ISLAND. STORM SURGES FROM SAINT GEORGE ISLAND EASTWARD ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND COAST WILL BE IN THE 3 TO 5 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... SUNDAY...LOW 1:14 AM AND 1:09 PM...HIGH 8:22 AM AND 6:07 PM. PORT SAINT JOE... TODAY...LOW 10:49 PM. SUNDAY...HIGH 12:40 PM...LOW 10:51 PM. PANAMA CITY... TODAY...LOW 10:29 PM. SUNDAY...HIGH 12:07 AM...LOW 10:31 PM. DESTIN... SUNDAY...LOW 1:00 AM...HIGH 12:37 PM. ...RIP CURRENTS... DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY DUE TO INCREASING SURF AND WINDS. ...TORNADO THREAT... THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL SPREAD NORTHWEST ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTH GEORGIA OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... COASTAL RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANE CONDITIONS DEVELOPING IN 12 TO 24 HOURS. RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AREAS NEAR THE COAST PRONE TO STORM SURGE FLOODING SHOULD HEED THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS FOR SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND ORDERS. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 230 AM EDT. $$ JAMSKI