WTUS84 KHGX 142115 HLSHOU TXZ200-213-214-235>238-150100- TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 415 PM CDT MON JUL 14 2003 ...HURRICANE WARNINGS EXPANDED FOR MOST OF THE UPPER TEXAS COAST... ...THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF... BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...HARRIS...JACKSON...LIBERTY...AND MATAGORDA COUNTIES... ...WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM BAFFIN BAY TO HIGH ISLAND...INCLUDING GALVESTON AND MATAGORDA BAYS AND THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON METRO AREA. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WHARTON...FORT BEND...WALLER...COLORADO...AND AUSTIN COUNTIES. ...CURRENT STORM INFORMATION... .LOCATION... AT 4 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.1 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 170 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FREEPORT TEXAS. .MOVEMENT... TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE WAS MOVING NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 12 HOURS. THIS MOTION COULD BRING THE CENTER OF CLAUDETTE TO THE TEXAS COAST AROUND MATAGORDA BAY LATE TUESDAY. .WINDS... MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND CLAUDETTE COULD BECOME A HURRICANE TONIGHT OR TUESDAY. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE RECOMMENDED THE EVACUATION OF THE WEST END OF GALVESTON ISLAND AND THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA. RESIDENTS ALONG THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS COAST SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RESIDENTS SHOULD COMPLETE PREPAREDNESS PLANS THIS AFTERNOON AND MAKE SURE THEIR FAMILY DISASTER KIT IS FULLY STOCKED. ...STORM SURGE AND TIDES... TIDES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING AT 2.6 TO 3.6 FEET. THESE LEVELS WILL PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING ON THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA AS THE WATER ENCROACHES ON THE DUNES. NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. AS A RESULT...TIDES AS EARLY AS TUESDAY AFTERNOON COULD RISE TO 4 TO 5 FEET ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AND BAYS...5 TO 7 FEET NEAR WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. IF CLAUDETTE TRACKS FURTHER TO THE NORTH AND STRENGTHENS...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 (RELATIVE TO MEAN LOWER LOW WATER) CLEAR LAKE TUE 2:19 PM 4.8 FT. WED 2:50 PM 4.4 FT. EAGLE POINT TUE 12:08 PM 4.4 FT. WED 12:39 PM 4.4 FT. FREEPORT TUE 7:30 AM 4.7 FT. TUE 3:06 PM 4.5 FT. WED 8:01 AM 5.2 FT. GALVESTON CHANNEL 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 TUE 8:28 AM 4.2 FT. TUE 4:04 PM 4.7 FT. WED 8:59 AM 4.7 FT. PORT OCONNOR TUE 2:59 PM 5.4 FT. WED 4:00 PM 5.3 FT. SAN LUIS PASS 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 BEGIN ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST FROM HIGH ISLAND TO MATAGORDA...INCLUDING GALVESTON BAY...BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE HOUSTON AREA AND INLAND LOCATIONS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF HOUSTON FROM LATE MORNING TUESDAY THROUGH THE EVENING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE MATAGORDA BAY AREA AND JACKSON AND MATAGORDA COUNTIES 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... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES ON THE PERIPHERY OF CLAUDETTE. HEAVIER RAINS WILL SPREAD OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES STARTING LATE THIS EVENING...AND SPREAD OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS ON TUESDAY. NEAR WHERE THE CENTER OF CLAUDETTE COMES ONSHORE...STORM TOTAL RAINFALL WILL AVERAGE 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE. ELSEWHERE...RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS TO 5 INCHES. ...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 LOCAL STATEMENT ON CLAUDETTE WILL BE ISSUED BY 8 PM TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON STORM POSITION...STRENGTH AND MOVEMENT. 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. $$