000 WTUS82 KTAE 101726 HLSTAE ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-102130- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED HURRICANE DENNIS LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 124 PM EDT SUN JUL 10 2005 ...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER WESTWARD... ...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT EAST OF THE OCHLOCKONEE RIVER... ...AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE INTERIOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... ...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR 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 AND FRANKLIN. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF WAKULLA...JEFFERSON...TAYLOR AND DIXIE. AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE INTERIOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR 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 NOON CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS ESTIMATED BY DOPPLER RADAR TO BE NEAR NEAR LATITUDE 29.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 55 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 83 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PANAMA CITY AND 145 MILES SOUTHWEST FROM DOTHAN. DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 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 NEAR PENSACOLA AROUND 330 PM EDT (230 PM CDT). MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED 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 939 MB...OR 27.73 INCHES. ...WIND IMPACTS... BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO AT OR NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE ALONG THE COAST FROM DESTIN EAST TO WAKULLA COUNTY. GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE WINDS MAY REACH THE COAST MAINLY FROM PANAMA CITY WESTWARD THIS AFTERNOON. TROPICAL STORM FORCE AND EVENTUALLY HURRICANE FORCE WINDS MAY EXTEND INLAND DURING THE AFTERNOON OVER THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE (WALTON...HOLMES... WASHINGTON AND BAY COUNTIES) AND OVER WESTERN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA (COFFEE AND GENEVA COUNTIES). THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS TO THE REST OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA (DALE...HOUSTON AND HENRY COUNTIES) AND THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE (JACKSON...CALHOUN AND GULF). IF DENNIS CONTINUES MOVING A BIT MORE WESTWARD... THE CHANCE OF INLAND HURRICANE WINDS TO THESE MENTIONED AREAS WILL BE LESS AND WINDS WOULD REMAIN BELOW HURRICANE FORCE. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME LOCAL WIND REPORTS AT NOON CDT: TALLAHASSEE...28 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 MPH. EGLIN AFB...43 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 56 MPH. BAINBRIDGE...30 MPH GUSTS OF 49 MPH. PANAMA CITY...23 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 46 MPH. MARIANNA...18 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 33 MPH. CRESTVIEW...28 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 43 MPH. DOTHAN...23 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 38 MPH. PERRY...21 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 33 MPH. CROSS CITY...14 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 21 MPH. C TOWER...52 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 58 MPH. BUOY 42039 (PANAMA CITY BUOY)...43 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 56 MPH. BUOY 42036 (APALACHICOLA BUOY)...36 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 56 MPH. ...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 RIVERS CURRENTLY AT FLOOD STAGE ARE BLOUNTSTOWN ON THE APALACHICOLA RIVER AND THE ST MARKS RIVER AT NEWPORT. 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 THROUGH NOON EDT... TALLAHASSEE 4.18 INCHES THOMASVILLE 3.00 INCHES PANAMA CITY 2.90 INCHES DESTIN 2.48 INCHES DOTHAN 2.37 INCHES ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST...STORM SURGES WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. THE BEACHES OF SOUTH WALTON COUNTY COULD SEE 8 TO 10 FOOT SURGES. BAY AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES ARE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A 6 TO 8 FOOT SURGE. ALL OF THESE EXPOSED AREAS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE SEVERE BEACH EROSION AS LARGE BATTERING WAVES...SIMILAR TO LAST YEARS HURRICANE IVAN...STRIKE THE COAST. THE LATEST SEA HEIGHTS MEASURED AT THE OFFSHORE BUOYS WERE 28 FEET AT THE BUOY SOUTH OF PANAMA CITY...AND 25 FEET AT THE BUOY SOUTH OF APALACHICOLA. STORM TIDES HAVE RISEN TO 9 FEET TODAY IN WAKULLA COUNTY AND NEARLY 6 FEET IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT ADDITIONAL RISES OF UP TO 2 FEET BY THE TIME DENNIS MAKES LANDFALL. WATER HAS PUSHED ACROSS ROUTE 98 NEAR APALACHICOLA. TO THE EAST...TOTAL STORM TIDES WILL REACH 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE EASTERN TAYLOR COUNTY COAST AND DOWN DOWN THE BIG BEND TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER. TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTIES HAVE REPORTED 1 1/2 FOOT DEEP WATER OVER SEVERAL ROADS IN STEINHATCHEE AND JENA. SLIGHT RISES WILL CONTINUE THERE DUE TO ASTRONOMICAL TIDES. 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 2 TO 8 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 530 PM EDT. $$ WOOL/GOREE/BLOCK