000 WTUS82 KTAE 101223 HLSTAE GMZ750-755-770-775-ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131- 142>148-155>161-101715- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 822 AM EDT SUN JUL 10 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 3 PM EDT (2 PM CDT)... ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT... ...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 3 PM EDT (2 PM CDT). A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 6 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.2 WEST OR ABOUT 165 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 200 MILES SOUTH OF DOTHAN ALABAMA. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE WILL CROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST LATER TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY PRIOR TO LANDFALL. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 931 MB...OR 27.49 INCHES. ...WIND IMPACTS... BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE ALONG THE COAST FROM DESTIN TO SHELL POINT EARLY THIS MORNING. GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE WINDS MAY REACH THE COAST LATER THIS MORNING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE AND EVENTUALLY HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL EXTEND INLAND OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON. IF DENNIS TURNS SLIGHTLY TO THE EAST...THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST GEORGIA COULD RECEIVE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME LOCAL WIND REPORTS AT 7 AM EDT: APALACHICOLA...32 KNOTS GUSTS OF 43. PANAMA CITY...25 KNOTS GUSTS OF 35. BUOY 42309 (PANAMA CITY BUOY)...47 KNOTS GUSTS OF 56. BUOY 42036 (APALACHICOLA BUOY)...41 KNOTS GUSTS OF 54. PEAK WIND GUSTS SO FAR INCLUDE: TALLAHASSEE...EAST AT 28 KTS APALACHICOLA...EAST AT 36 KTS PANAMA CITY...EAST AT 36 KTS VALDOSTA...SOUTH AT 35 KTS. ...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 5 TO 10 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. THE ONLY RIVER CURRENTLY AT FLOOD STAGE ARE BLOUNTSTOWN ON THE APALACHICOLA RIVER. SOILS ARE VERY WET. SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS IN THE AREA WILL FLOOD RAPIDLY IF 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN FALL IN LOCALIZED AREAS WITHIN TWO HOURS. SOME STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS FOR DENNIS THOUGH 8 AM EDT... SEA HAG MARINA(STEINHATCHEE) 2.70 INCHES TALLAHASSEE 2.76 INCHES APALACHICOLA 2.46 INCHES PERRY 2.23 INCHES CROSS CITY 2.14 INCHES DOTHAN 1.77 INCHES PANAMA CITY 1.39 INCHES DOWLING PARK 1.30 INCHES VALDOSTA 1.15 INCHES NEWTON 1.15 INCHES GENEVA 1.02 INCHES ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... THE STORM SURGE HAS ALREADY BEGAN ALONG THE COAST THIS MORNING. WITH THE CENTER OF DENNIS MOVING INLAND OVER THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE AS A MAJOR HURRICANE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...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 TO WAKULLA COUNTY WILL BE FROM 4 TO 6 FEET. STORM SURGES FROM WAKULLA COUNTY TO WESTERN TAYLOR COUNTY WILL BE FROM 5 TO 7 FEET. FROM EASTERN TAYLOR TO DIXIE COUNTY STORM SURGES WILL BE 4 TO 5 FEET. EXPOSED BARRIER ISLAND AND PENINSULAS INCLUDING CAPE SAN BLAS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE LARGE DAMAGING WAVE ACTION AND EROSION. NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE AS FOLLOWS... SHELL POINT... TODAY...HIGH 4:43 PM...LOW 11:00 AM AND 11:38 PM. MONDAY...HIGH 6:12 AM AND 5:27 PM...LOW 11:45 AM. APALACHICOLA... TODAY...LOW 1:09 PM...HIGH 8:22 AM AND 6:07 PM. MONDAY...HIGH 8:38 AM AND 7:01 AM...LOW 1:35 AM AND 2:02 PM. PORT SAINT JOE... TODAY...HIGH 12:40 PM...LOW 10:51 PM. MONDAY...HIGH 12:56 PM...LOW 10:41 PM. PANAMA CITY... TODAY...HIGH 12:07 PM...LOW 10:31 PM. MONDAY...HIGH 12:23 PM...LOW 10:21 PM. DESTIN... TODAY...HIGH 12:37 PM. MONDAY...HIGH 12:53 PM...LOW 1:12 AM. ...RIP CURRENTS... DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY DUE TO INCREASING SURF AND WINDS. ...TORNADO THREAT... ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... COASTAL RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND SHOULD EXPECT HURRICANE CONDITIONS WITHIN 6 TO 12 HOURS...AND ALL PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE COMPLETED. MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL SECTIONS OF WALTON...BAY...GULF AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES. VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS FOR RESIDENTS IN MOBILE HOMES AND LOW LYING AREAS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE INLAND PANHANDLE COUNTIES. RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AREAS NEAR THE COAST PRONE TO STORM SURGE FLOODING OR IN INLAND RAINFALL FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD HEED THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 1130 AM EDT. $$ BLOCK/HICKS $$