Rips through the Florida Keys
![[Inside Georges photo]](images/georges.JPG)
September 24-26, 1998
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Rips through the Florida Keys
September 24-26, 1998 |
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WTNT32 KNHC 251654 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 41A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 AM EDT FRI SEP 25 1998 |
| ...GEORGES CONTINUES BATTERING THE FLORIDA KEYS... |
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A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA FROM FLORIDA CITY ON THE EAST COAST SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE FLORIDA KEYS...AND FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM LONGBOAT KEY SOUTHWARD.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM NORTH OF FLORIDA CITY TO STUART...AND FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM NORTH OF LONGBOAT KEY TO BAYPORT. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COAST FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO ST. MARKS FLORIDA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR CUBA FROM MATANZAS WESTWARD TO PINAR DEL RIO. AT 1 PM EDT...1700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.1 WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES...30 KM...NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA. THE EASTERN PART OF THE EYEWALL REMAINS OVER THE LOWER AND MIDDLE FLORIDA KEYS. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL CONTINUE TO POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE AUTOMATED REPORTING SITE ON SOMBRERO KEY...LOCATED ABOUT 35 MILES EAST OF KEY WEST...HAS HAD SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS FOR OVER THREE HOURS. THIS INCLUDES A TWO-MINUTE WIND OF 94 MPH WITH A GUST TO 113 MPH. A SUSTAINED WIND OF 60 MPH WITH A GUST TO 84 MPH HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ON MARCO ISLAND ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM...MAINLY TO THE EAST. KEY WEST FLORIDA AND THE HURRICANE HUNTERS BOTH REPORTED A PRESSURE IN THE EYE OF 981 MB...28.97 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF CUBA...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. SANTA CLARA CUBA HAS RECEIVED ABOUT 11 INCHES OF RAIN SO FAR. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA. WATER LEVELS ABOUT 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE MIDDLE FLORIDA KEYS...NEAR MARATHON. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND CENTRAL FLORIDA. REPEATING THE 1 PM EDT POSITION...24.7 N... 82.1 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD ...NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 981 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 3 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT. - RAPPAPORT |