WTUS84 KHGX 141553 HLSHOU TXZ213-214-235>238-141900- TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1052 AM CDT MON JUL 14 2003 ...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF... BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...HARRIS...JACKSON...AND MATAGORDA COUNTIES... ...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BAFFIN BAY TO SAN LUIS PASS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT NORTH OF SAN LUIS PASS TO CAMERON LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO BROWNSVILLE. ...CURRENT STORM INFORMATION... .LOCATION... AT 10 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.7 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 215 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FREEPORT TEXAS. .MOVEMENT... TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE WAS MOVING NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION COULD BRING THE CENTER OF CLAUDETTE TO THE TEXAS COAST AROUND MATAGORDA BAY TUESDAY EVENING. .WINDS... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND CLAUDETTE COULD BECOME A HURRICANE LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... RESIDENTS ALONG THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS COAST SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE TODAY. RESIDENTS SHOULD COMPLETE PREPAREDNESS PLANS TODAY AND MAKE SURE THEIR FAMILY DISASTER KIT IS FULLY STOCKED. ...STORM SURGE AND TIDES... TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING 1 TO 1.5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. SINCE HIGH TIDE IS OCCURRING EARLY THIS MORNING...ACTUAL TIDE LEVELS ARE ALREADY AT 3.5 FEET. TIDES AT THIS LEVEL WILL PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING ON THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA AS THE WATER ENCROACHES ON THE DUNES. AS EAST WINDS INCREASE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...TIDE LEVELS WILL RISE TO 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED LEVELS. THIS MAY RESULT IN TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY EVENING TIDE LEVELS AROUND 5 FEET IN GALVESTON BAY AND THE MATAGORDA PENINSULA...5 TO 7 FEET FROM SAN LUIS PASS TO MATAGORDA BAY...AND AROUND 8 FEET NEAR WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. IF CLAUDETTE TRACKS FURTHER TO THE NORTH...6 TO 7 FOOT TIDES WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE WEST END OF GALVESTON BAY AND THE WEST END OF GALVESTON ISLAND TUESDAY NIGHT. LOCATION EXPECTED WATER LEVELS AT HIGH TIDE CLEAR LAKE MON 1:43 PM 2.9 FT. TUE 2:19 PM 4.8 FT. WED 2:50 PM 4.4 FT. EAGLE POINT MON 11:32 AM 2.8 FT. TUE 12:08 PM 4.4 FT. WED 12:39 PM 4.4 FT. FREEPORT MON 1:39 PM 3.9 FT. TUE 7:30 AM 4.7 FT. TUE 3:06 PM 4.5 FT. WED 8:01 AM 5.2 FT. GALVESTON CHANNEL MON 2:23 PM 3.2 FT. TUE 8:14 AM 4.0 FT. TUE 3:50 PM 4.6 FT. WED 8:45 AM 4.5 FT. JAMAICA BEACH MON 5:01 PM 3.7 FT. TUE 10:52 AM 4.3 FT. TUE 6:28 PM 4.4 FT. WED 11:23 AM 4.5 FT. MORGANS POINT MON 5:59 PM 3.2 FT. TUE 6:35 PM 4.4 FT. WED 7:06 PM 4.0 FT. PLEASURE PIER TUE 7:00 AM 4.3 FT. TUE 3:05 PM 5.1 FT. WED 7:37 AM 5.1 FT. PORT BOLIVAR MON 2:37 PM 3.8 FT. TUE 8:28 AM 4.2 FT. TUE 4:04 PM 4.7 FT. WED 8:59 AM 4.7 FT. PORT OCONNOR MON 1:53 PM 3.1 FT. TUE 2:59 PM 5.4 FT. WED 4:00 PM 5.3 FT. SAN LUIS PASS MON 2:14 PM 3.4 FT. TUE 8:05 AM 4.2 FT. TUE 3:41 PM 5.1 FT. WED 8:36 AM 5.3 FT. ...WIND IMPACTS... TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE UPPER TEXAS COAST FROM FREEPORT TO HIGH ISLAND BETWEEN 3 AM AND 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT LOCATIONS FROM FREEPORT TO PALACIOS BETWEEN 6 AM AND 9 AM TUESDAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE HOUSTON AREA AND INLAND LOCATIONS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF HOUSTON TUESDAY AFTERNOON. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE MATAGORDA BAY AREA BETWEEN 3 PM AND 9 PM ON TUESDAY. IF THE TRACK OF CLAUDETTE SHIFTS FURTHER NORTH...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF BRAZORIA AND WHARTON COUNTIES TUESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING. ...RAINFALL... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ON THE PERIPHERY OF CLAUDETTE TODAY. AN INITIAL BAND OF SHOWERS HAS ALREADY BEGUN TO AFFECT THE COASTLINE OF CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES. TODAY THE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO AVERAGE 1/2 TO 1 INCH. HEAVIER RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED AS EARLY AS TONIGHT AND ON INTO TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THE RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY ON TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 WHERE TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE 3 TO 6 INCHES. SOME 5 TO 10 INCH AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. ...TORNADOES... WATERSPOUTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN OBSERVED ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST OFF OF GALVESTON ISLAND. THE THREAT FOR WATERSPOUTS WILL PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AS CLAUDETTE APPROACHES THE TEXAS COAST. THERE WILL ALSO BE AN INCREASING THREAT FOR TORNADOES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS BEGINNING LATER TONIGHT AND ON INTO TUESDAY. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT UPDATE FOR TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE WILL BE AROUND 2 PM CDT. FOR MORE HURRICANE INFORMATION...SEE THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S WEB PAGE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/HGX. $$