TROPICAL STORM RITA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1125 PM EDT MON SEP 19 2005

...LOCAL EFFECTS OF RITA IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL MOST LIKELY BE
WORSE THAN THOSE OF HURRICANE GEORGES IN 1998...
...A MANDATORY EVACUATION IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
A STORM SURGE OF 6 TO 9 FEET IS EXPECTED TUESDAY. THIS WILL INUNDATE
MOST ROADS AND LARGE SECTIONS OF THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY. A STORM SURGE
OF THIS MAGNITUDE HAS THE ABILITY TO SCOUR THE APPROACHES TO BRIDGES
ON THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY. THIS MAY LEAVE PORTIONS OF THE OVERSEAS
HIGHWAY IMPASSABLE. THE HIGHEST FORECASTED STORM TIDES WILL OCCUR
SHOULD STORM PASSAGE COINCIDE WITH ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE. HIGH
TIDES AT WHALE HARBOR CHANNEL ARE AT AND 1118 AM AND 1129 PM ON
TUESDAY. HIGH TIDES AT KEY WEST HARBOR ARE AT 230 PM ON
TUESDAY...AND 1208 AM EARLY WEDNESDAY.

full statement on the main page, or use the link below.~danielw
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/index_hls3.shtml
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=SPSEYW&version=0&max=51