WTUS82 KMLB 300948 HLSMLB AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147- 301600- HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 545 AM EDT WED AUG 30 2006 ...THE CENTER OF ERNESTO TO MOVE NORTH THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TODAY... ...NEW INFORMATION... FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDIANS...THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE LOCALIZED FLOODING...ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE AROUND 40 TO 45 MPH. ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...INCLUDING MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...OKEECHOBEE...INDIAN RIVER...BREVARD... OSCEOLA...ORANGE...SEMINOLE...VOLUSIA...AND LAKE COUNTIES. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... FOR COASTAL SECTIONS...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. FOR INLAND SECTIONS...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR OKEECHOBEE...MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...INDIAN RIVER...BREVARD... VOLUSIA...OSCEOLA...ORANGE...SEMINOLE...AND LAKE COUNTIES. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 5 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.9 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA. THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 45 MPH. ERNESTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH WITH A TURN TO THE NORTH EXPECTED...ALONG WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED TODAY. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... CENTRAL FLORIDIANS SHOULD NOW BE PREPARED FOR TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO...WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION GIVEN TO LOCALIZED FLOODING AND OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE. RESIDENTS SHOULD KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST WEATHER SITUATION DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY AND LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD OR TORNADO WARNINGS FOR YOUR AREA. ...WINDS... THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WITH ERNESTO WERE STILL NEAR 45 MPH. IMPORTANTLY...ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS NOT EXPECTED SINCE THE CENTER WILL SPEND MOST OF THE DAY OVER LAND. IN FACT...SOME WEAKENING IS LIKELY AS IT MOVES NORTH THROUGH THE PENINSULA. OPPORTUNITY FOR TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD THIS MORNING AFFECTING MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...AND OKEECHOBEE COUNTIES. AS ERNESTO CONTINUES MOVING NORTHWARD... TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH ARE FORECAST TO REACH INDIAN RIVER...BREVARD...OSCEOLA...ORANGE...SEMINOLE...LAKE... AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES BETWEEN LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS WILL OCCUR IN VICINITY OF THE CENTER OF ERNESTO AND ALONG THE COAST AS RAINBANDS ROTATE ONSHORE. LOCATIONS FARTHER NORTH AND INLAND THAT ARE AWAY FROM THE CENTER AND COAST...WILL HAVE LESS OPPORTUNITY FOR TROPICAL STORM WIND GUSTS. ...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE... AS ERNESTO MOVES NORTHWARD THROUGH THE FLORIDA PENINSULA... STEADY ONSHORE FLOW WILL ADD 1 TO 2 FEET TO THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE. RISES WITHIN THE INTRACOASTAL WATERS SHOULD BE MINIMAL...HOWEVER... SOME WAVE ACTION ON THE INTRACOASTAL WATERS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT DOCKS. ...INLAND FLOODING... A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES. FORECAST RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE 2 TO 4 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY NEAR AND EAST OF THE TRACK. LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS WILL BE THE FIRST TO FLOOD. ...TORNADOES... ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY OVER THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS AND IMMEDIATE COAST. ...MARINE... TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR THIS MORNING SOUTH OF SEBASTIAN INLET...THEN SPREAD NORTHWARD TODAY. THE CENTER OF ERNESTO IS FORECAST TO MOVE BACK OUT OVER THE WATER BETWEEN COCOA BEACH AND FLAGLER BEACH TONIGHT. HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 35 KNOTS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS IN SQUALLS...ESPECIALLY IN RAINBANDS AND NEAR THE CENTER AS IT MOVES OFFSHORE. DURING THE EVENT...SEAS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BUILD TO 10 FEET TODAY AND TONIGHT BETWEEN JUPITER INLET AND FLAGLER BEACH. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND NOON OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT CAN BE FOUND ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MLB/GHLS/HLS_MAIN.HTML $$ DWS