WTUS84 KLCH 240356
HLSLCH
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-240530-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1045 PM CDT FRI SEP 23 2005

...EYE OF MAJOR HURRICANE RITA JUST A FEW HOURS FROM LANDFALL NEAR
THE TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER...
...STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS BATTERING SOUTHERN LOUISIANA AND
SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS...

...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM SARGENT TEXAS TO MORGAN
CITY LOUISIANA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO JEFFERSON...ORANGE...HARDIN...TYLER...
JASPER...AND NEWTON COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND FOR
BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA...SAINT MARY...
UPPER AND LOWER SAINT MARTIN...JEFFERSON
DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...ACADIA...AND ALLEN PARISHES IN LOUISIANA.

...WATCHES/WARNING...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE COAST FROM SARGENT
TEXAS TO MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS
THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN
THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
BE COMPLETED NOW.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON...ORANGE...
HARDIN...TYLER...JASPER AND NEWTON COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
FOR BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...CAMERON...VERMILION...IBERIA...SAINT
MARY...LOWER SAINT MARTIN...JEFFERSON DAVIS AND ALLEN PARISHES IN
LOUISIANA.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR VERNON...
RAPIDES... AVOYELLES... EVANGELINE...SAINT LANDRY...LAFAYETTE...AND
UPPER SAINT MARTIN PARISHES IN LOUISIANA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 10 PM CDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
29.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 93.2 WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
SABINE PASS TEXAS...OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAMERON
LOUISIANA.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL LANDFALL.  A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED ON SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA
IS A STRONG CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE AND RITA IS STILL EXPECTED TO COME
ASHORE AS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE. RITA IS STILL CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ALONG ITS PATH.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205
MILES.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 931 MB...27.49 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ALL EVACUATIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES AND CAMERON AND CALCASIEU
PARISHES...MAXIMUM STORM SURGES OF 15 TO 20 FEET ARE POSSIBLE IN
AREAS ALONG THE COAST LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS STORM SURGE
WILL ALSO LIKELY COME OVER THE TOP OF THE SEA WALL AROUND PORT
ARTHUR TEXAS.  LOW LYING AREAS IN BEAUMONT AND LAKE CHARLES COULD
SEE UP TO 4 FEET OF STORM SURGE ESPECIALLY NEAR RIVERS AND BAYOUS
AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES. 

VERMILION PARISH...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 FEET
TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL FLOOD LAND AROUND PECAN ISLAND AND
INTRACOASTAL CITY. SECTIONS OF DELCAMBRE WILL BE UNDER WATER.

IBERIA AND ST. MARY PARISHES...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE BETWEEN 6 AND 10
FEET TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL FLOOD SECTIONS OF CYPREMORT
POINT AND BURNS POINT...AND LOW-LYING AREAS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 90 FROM
FRANKLIN TO MORGAN CITY.

NORMAL HIGH AND LOW TIDES AT:

SABINE PASS:
TONIGHT      HIGH/12:39 AM/2.1 FT
SATURDAY     LOW/3:30 PM/0.2 FT

CALCASIEU PASS:
TONIGHT      HIGH/11:43 PM/2.6 FT
SATURDAY     LOW/2:44 PM/0.3 FT

SOUTHWEST PASS:
TONIGHT      HIGH/1:25 AM/2.1 FT
SATURDAY     LOW/3:35 PM/0.2 FT

BASED ON THE PROJECTED STORM SURGE VALUES...CATASTROPHIC RIVER
FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE LOWER REACHES OF THE
SABINE...NECHES...AND CALCASIEU RIVERS...WHERE CRESTS OF 10 TO 15
FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE CAN BE EXPECTED. MAJOR FLOODING IS ALSO
LIKELY ALONG THE MERMENTAU RIVER...WHERE CRESTS OF 7 TO 8 FEET ARE
EXPECTED.

...WIND IMPACTS...
JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES...A WIND GUST TO 75 MPH WAS RECENTLY
RECORDED AT THE NOAA TIDE STATION AT SABINE PASS AND 87 MPH AT SEA
RIM STATE PARK. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 90 MPH BY MIDNIGHT...AND OVER
100 MPH IS POSSIBLE BEFORE DAYBREAK SATURDAY MORNING. HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS COULD LAST 10 TO 12 HOURS.

HARDIN...JASPER...NEWTON...TYLER COUNTIES...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO
75 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT...AND GUSTING NEAR 100 MPH SATURDAY MORNING.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS COULD LAST 8 TO 10 HOURS.

CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES...A WIND GUST TO 90 MPH WAS RECENTLY
RECORDED AT THE NOAA TIDE STATION AT CAMERON AND OVER 75 MPH AT THE
LAKE CHARLES REGIONAL AIRPORT. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE WITH
GUSTS OVER 100 MPH BEFORE AFTER MIDNIGHT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
COULD LAST 10 TO 12 HOURS.

JEFF DAVIS AND VERMILION PARISHES...WINDS WILL GUSTS TO 60 TO 75
MPH. WINDS APPROACHING HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL LAST 4 TO 6 HOURS.

ACADIA...LAFAYETTE...AND UPPER ST. MARTIN PARISHES...WIND GUSTS
BETWEEN` 40 AND 50 MPH THROUGH TONIGHT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD
LAST OVER 12 HOURS.

IBERIA AND ST. MARY PARISHES...WINDS WILL BE 40 TO 50 MPH THROUGH
TONIGHT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD LAST OVER 12 HOURS.

CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION DUE TO THE
STRENGTH AND DURATION OF THE EXTREME WINDS. NUMEROUS TREES AND
POWER LINES WILL BE DOWNED...WITH WIDESPREAD AND EXTENDED POWER
OUTAGES LIKELY. SOME STRUCTURES WILL ALSO FAIL.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
EXTREME RAINFALL WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY RITA...WITH A STORM TOTAL OF 8
TO 12 INCHES EXPECTED. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 20 TO 25 INCHES
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA.
THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY CAUSE CATASTROPHIC RIVER FLOODING.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AS WELL AS SOUTHEAST TEXAS...THROUGH 6 AM
SATURDAY MORNING. DUE TO OUTER RAINBANDS OF RITA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON HURRICANE RITA WILL BE ISSUED BY
1230 AM CDT.

$$

RUA