JEANNE MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA AND CONTINUES MOVING INLAND

As of 8:00 a.m. EDT Saturday cat 2 hurricane Jeanne was located near 27.7 north and 81.5 west or about 25 miles east-southeast of Bartow, Florida. Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph with higher gusts and Jeanne is heading slightly north of west-northwest at 12 mph. Central pressure is measured at 960 millibars or 28.35inches. Jeanne made landfall at 11:50 PM on September 25th near the south end of Hutchinson Island just east of Stuart. This is about 5 miles or so north of where Hurricane Frances made landfall 3 weeks ago. Jeanne was a Category 3 hurricane at the time of landfall, making this the first time since 1950 that Florida has been hit directly by two Category 3 or higher hurricanes. The eye itself looks to be attempting to compacting inward gradually. The center of Jeanne will likely track into Hillsborough County. The center of Jeanne will likely pass very close to Tampa. Storm surge will continue to be a problem south of Tampa Bay and along the west and south side of Tampa Bay this morning. Residents in the Tampa area can expect gusts of 50 to 85 mph as Jeanne passes through. Tornadoes will remain a threat north of Interstate 4. Locally heavy rains will continue to cause flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.