SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
600 AM CDT SUN JUL 10 2005 edited

600 AM CDT SUN JUL 10 2005

.NOW...

...THE CENTER OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE DENNIS CURRENTLY
LOCATED ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN MOBILE...

...ALL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE RUSHED TO
COMPLETION AND EVACUATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY 9 AM.

THROUGH 8 AM...RAIN SQUALLS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE CURRENTLY
MOVING WESTWARD THROUGH THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THESE BANDS
BANDS ARE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...AND
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FROM EAST TO WEST ACROSS THE AREA. WINDS
GUSTING BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH WITH THE STRONGER SQUALLS
LIKELY...ALONG WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN. ADDITIONAL BANDS OF RAIN
SQUALLS WILL CONTINUE MOVING WEST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE
MORNING...EACH BAND WITH STRONGER WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS AS HURRICANE
DENNIS APPROACHES THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OF
74 MPH AND GREATER WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO COASTAL BALDWIN AND
ESCAMBIA COUNTY FLORIDA BY EARLY AFTERNOON...SPREADING TO THE
NORTHWEST AS THE CENTER MOVES INLAND.

CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST WILL GET PROGRESSIVELY
WORSE THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON AS HURRICANE
DENNIS APPROACHES THE AREA...LANDFALL OF THE CENTER OF DENNIS IS
EXPECTED ALONG THE FLORIDA...ALABAMA LINE AREA THIS AFTERNOON.

CATASTROPHIC STORM SURGE IS BECOMING INCREASING LIKELY ALONG AND TO
THE EAST OF WHERE DENNIS MAKES LANDFALL...THIS WILL INCLUDE AREAS
FROM GULF SHORES TO PENSACOLA. IF YOU HAVE NOT EVACUATED FROM A
COASTAL ZONE...PLEASE DO SO IMMEDIATELY.

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 2 PM FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE
AND ALL OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. ISOLATED TORNADOES
WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE
GREATEST CHANCE OF TORNADOES WILL BE IN THE OUTER RAIN BANDS AND
CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE...WHICH IS ALSO WHERE THE
STRONGEST WINDS ARE LOCATED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR
FURTHER UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ON THIS VERY
DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING WEATHER SITUATION