WTUS82 KMLB 310500
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
311000-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1255 AM EDT THU AUG 31 2006

...ERNESTO HAS RESTRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM OFF THE
FLORIDA EAST COAST...

...NEW INFORMATION...
ERNESTO HAS REGAINED TROPICAL STORM INTENSITY.

 ...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...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF COCOA
BEACH...BUT HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR AREAS FARTHER SOUTH.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR VOLUSIA AND
NORTH BREVARD COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT MIDNIGHT...THE BROAD CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
JUST NORTH NORTHEAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA OVER THE ADJACENT
COASTAL WATERS. ERNESTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 14 MPH. THE
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE SLIGHTLY INCREASED TO 40 MPH...TO
TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH...AS SUBSTANTIATED BY DOPPLER RADAR.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RECENT HEAVY RAIN IN BREVARD COUNTY WILL CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW
AREAS AND SOME STREET FLOODING. RESIDENTS OF VOLUSIA AND BREVARD
COUNTIES SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF MINIMAL
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TONIGHT...MAINLY IN GUSTS...AND POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS.

ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE NO LONGER EXPECTED.

MARINERS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL ERNESTO EXITS THE REGION AS
WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED OVERNIGHT.

...WINDS...
ERNESTO REGAINED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH AS IT MOVED OFF THE COAST OF
BREVARD COUNTY NEAR CAPE CANAVERAL. MINIMAL TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE
ACROSS VOLUSIA AND NORTH BREVARD COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. THE STRONGEST
WIND GUSTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR NEAR THE COAST AS OCCASIONAL SHOWERS
SPREAD ONSHORE.

ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...WINDS MAY GUST TO 25
TO 35 MPH DURING THE NIGHT AS THE BROAD CIRCULATION OF ERNESTO
SLOWLY PASSES OVER THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
STEADY ONSHORE FLOW WILL ADD LESS THAN 2 FEET TO THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE
IN NORTH VOLUSIA COUNTY. RISES WITHIN THE INTRACOASTAL WATERS SHOULD
BE MINIMAL...ESPECIALLY BREVARD COUNTY SOUTHWARD.

...INLAND FLOODING...
A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA.
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL OCCUR IN SOME AREAS WITH
ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE. LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE
FLOODING MAY OCCUR IN AREAS WHICH EXPERIENCED REPEATED HEAVY RAINS.

WEDNESDAY EVENING...AS MUCH AS 5 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN SOUTHERN
OSCEOLA COUNTY BETWEEN YEEHAW JUNCTION AN KENANSVILLE. AT THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MELBOURNE OVER THREE INCHES OF
RAIN WAS MEASURED YESTERDAY. OVERNIGHT...THE HEAVIEST RAINS WILL FALL
IN ORANGE...NORTHERN OSCEOLA...BREVARD AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES...ON
THE BACKSIDE OF ERNESTO AS IT EXITS THE AREA.

...TORNADOES...
THE THREAT OF TORNADOES HAS ALL BUT ENDED.

...MARINE...
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS
OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF COCOA BEACH. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL
REACH 35 KNOTS EAST OF THE CIRCULATION CENTER WITH OCCASIONAL
GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS IN SQUALLS...PRIMARILY IN RAINBANDS. SEAS
WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BUILD TO BETWEEN 8 AND 10 FEET AND
CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY MORNING ALONG THE TRACK.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN MELBOURNE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 6 AM 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