000 WWUS72 KMLB 242054 NPWMLB URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 454 PM EDT FRI SEP 24 2004 ...STRONG HURRICANE JEANNE WILL APPROACH EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA SATURDAY NIGHT... ...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS LIKELY TO SPREAD INLAND ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY... FLZ044>046-053-058-144-270000- NORTHERN LAKE-OKEECHOBEE-ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN LAKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLERMONT...KISSIMMEE...ST. CLOUD... LEESBURG...ORLANDO...SANFORD ...INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR OKEECHOBEE...OSCEOLA...ORANGE...SEMINOLE AND LAKE COUNTIES... HURRICANE JEANNE IS FORECAST TO MOVE WEST ACROSS THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS SATURDAY. THE HURRICANE IS FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN TO A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE COAST AND BEGINS A NORTHWEST TURN LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING NEAR OR ALONG THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST. THE LATEST TRACK FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER BRINGS HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...75 MPH OR GREATER...INTO OKEECHOBEE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES VERY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS ORANGE...SEMINOLE...AND LAKE COUNTIES...INCLUDING ORLANDO...SANFORD AND LEESBURG SUNDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THERE STILL IS SOME UNCERTAINLY IN THE EXACT TRACK OF HURRICANE JEANNE...WHICH COULD SHIFT THE STRONGEST WINDS FARTHER EAST OR WEST...HOWEVER CONFIDENCE HAS NOW INCREASED ENOUGH TO REQUIRE ISSUANCE OF INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNINGS. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE FOR SIGNIFICANT WIND IMPACTS FROM HURRICANE JEANNE. IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...OR A HOME THAT AFFORDS LITTLE PROTECTION FROM FLYING GLASS AND DEBRIS...IT IS STRONGLY ADVISED THAT YOU MAKE PLANS TO MOVE TO AN ALTERNATIVE REFUGE IN A STURDY BUILDING OR RESIDENCE FOR THIS WEEKEND. MOVE ANY LOOSE OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT CAN BE CARRIED AWAY BY THE WIND INDOORS. LOOSE ITEMS CAN BECOME AIRBORNE...RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURIES. TREES AND BRANCHES WEAKENED BY RECENT HURRICANES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FALLING DURING THE STORM. DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING...AND POOL SCREENS MAY ALSO OCCUR TO PERMANENT HOMES. LARGE BRANCHES CAN SNAP...WITH WATER LOGGED TREES BECOMING UPROOTED AND FALLING ON STRUCTURES. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL ALSO BLOW TEMPORARY TARPS LOOSE FROM ROOFS WHICH CAN ALLOW WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME. PRECAUTIONS TO PREPARE FOR HURRICANE JEANNE SHOULD BE COMPLETED NO LATER THAN SATURDAY AFTERNOON. DRIVING WILL BECOME DANGEROUS BY LATE AFTERNOON ACROSS OKEECHOBEE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES...AND BY EARLY EVENING ACROSS ORANGE...SEMINOLE...AND LAKE COUNTIES. HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED EVERY SIX HOURS BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE...AND WILL REFINE SPECIFIC WIND IMPACTS EXPECTED ACROSS INTERIOR CENTRAL FLORIDA ON SATURDAY. $$ SPRATT