HLSTLH ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-270100- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 435 PM EDT SUN SEP 26 2004 ..JEANNE CONTINUES TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN... ...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO DESTIN... ...AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE INLAND COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND FLORIDA PANHANDLE...FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...AND FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EDT MONDAY FOR DIXIE AND LAFAYETTE COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BIG BEND...AND BEN HILL...IRWIN...BERRIEN...LANIER AND LOWNDES COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA... ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS EAST OF BOTH THE APALACHICOLA RIVER AND THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER. THIS INCLUDES THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND ALL OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. ...WATCH AND WARNING INFORMATION... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO DESTIN. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE INLAND COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND FLORIDA PANHANDLE...FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...AND FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EDT FOR DIXIE AND LAFAYETTE COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BIG BEND...AND BEN HILL...IRWIN...BERRIEN...LANIER AND LOWNDES COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS EAST OF THE APALACHICOLA RIVER AND THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER. THIS INCLUDES THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND ALL OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 5 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JEANNE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.6 WEST...OR ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CROSS CITY AND 150 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TALLAHASSEE. JEANNE WAS MOVING NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH AND A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 65 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FURTHER WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS IT MOVES INTO NORTH FLORIDA TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY AS IT PROBABLY BECOMES A TROPICAL DEPRESSION. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 973 MB OR 28.73 INCHES. ...WIND IMPACTS... BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK FOR JEANNE...TROPICAL STORM WINDS AND GUSTS CONTINUE TO AFFECT SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BIG BEND AND APALACHEE BAY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD FURTHER NORTH AND WEST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE BIG BEND DURING THE EVENING. ALSO...TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS AND POSSIBLY WINDS ARE ALSO REACHING SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS MAY SPREAD ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ALABAMA TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. REPRESENTATIVE WINDS AT SOME INLAND AND COASTAL LOCATIONS AT 5 PM EDT FOLLOW. NWS TALLAHASSEE...12 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. TALLAHASSEE AIRPORT...21 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 33 MPH. PERRY...30 MPH. CROSS CITY...35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 51 MPH. VALDOSTA...23 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. KEATON BEACH...23 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 31 MPH. CEDAR KEY...33 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. BUOY 42036...33 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. C TOWER (100 FEET HIGH)...32 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 36 MPH. ...RAINFALL AND FLOOD POTENTIAL INFORMATION... WITH THE TRACK OF JEANNE...THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING NOW INCLUDES MOST OF THE AREA TO THE EAST OF THE APALACHICOLA RIVER. THEREFORE...THE EASTERN FLORIDA BIG BEND AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA CAN EXPECT LOCALLY 5 TO 7 INCHES WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE WESTERN BIG BEND AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA CAN EXPECT 3 TO 5 INCHES WHILE THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA CAN EXPECT 1 TO 3 INCHES. HOWEVER...IF THE FORECAST STORM TRACK SHIFTS FURTHER WEST OR IF THE FORWARD SPEED DECREASES...THESE TOTALS COULD END UP BEING HIGHER. AREAS THAT DO RECEIVE AT LEAST 5 INCHES OF RAIN CAN EXPECT SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MOST AREA RIVERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THIS MUCH RAIN WITHOUT MAJOR FLOODING. EVEN IF THE HIGHER END OF THE ABOVE TOTALS ARE OBSERVED...FURTHER RISES TO THE MIDDLE SUWANNEE RIVER WOULD NOT OCCUR UNTIL TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY. THE LOWER SUWANNEE WOULD FLOOD EVEN LATER. THE AUCILLA RIVER ALREADY IS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE...HOWEVER... AND THE WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER NEAR VALDOSTA RESPONDS VERY QUICKLY TO HEAVY RAINFALL...SO THESE TWO RIVERS WILL BE THE MOST CLOSELY WATCHED FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. INTERESTS ALONG THESE RIVERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... WITH JEANNE NOW EXPECTED TO HUG THE COAST OR EMERGE IN THE EXTREME EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AS A TROPICAL STORM...A MINOR STORM SURGE IS NOW EXPECTED FOR THE TAYLOR AND DIXIE COUNTY COASTLINES. AT THIS TIME THE SURGE IS EXPECTED TO BE NO HIGHER THAN 2 TO 5 FEET. HOWEVER...THE DURATION AND FETCH OF ONSHORE WINDS WILL BE QUITE SHORT. SHOULD JEANNE TRACK FURTHER WEST THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST OVERNIGHT...THESE SURGE VALUES COULD BE HIGHER. THE SURGE WILL ALSO PROPAGATE UP THE SUWANNEE RIVER AS FAR INLAND AS WILCOX...RESULTING IN RISES ALONG THE SUWANNEE RIVER OF 2 TO 3 FEET WITHIN 10 HOURS AFTER JEANNE PASSES NORTH OF THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER. BASED ON THE CURRENT PROJECTED PATH OF JEANNEE...THIS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT. RESIDENTS ALONG THE BIG BEND COAST SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR FORECAST UPDATES AND HEED ADVICE FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES. LOCAL TIDES FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY ARE AS FOLLOWS... AUCILLA RIVER ENTRANCE... HIGH TIDE AT 211 AM AND 219 PM. LOW TIDE AT 805 AM AND 840 PM. STEINHATCHEE RIVER ENTRANCE (DEADMAN BAY)... HIGH TIDE AT 214 AM AND 205 PM. LOW TIDE AT 816 AM AND 851 PM. SUWANNEE RIVER ENTRANCE... HIGH TIDE AT 203 AM AND 154 PM. LOW TIDE AT 805 AM AND 840 PM. APALACHICOLA... LOW TIDE AT 1015 PM AND 958 AM. HIGH TIDE AT 428 AM AND 350 PM. SAINT ANDREW BAY AT PANAMA CITY... LOW TIDE AT 634 PM AND 619 PM. HIGH TIDE AT 1032 AM AND 1159 PM. ...RIP CURRENTS... DUE TO THE INITIAL OFFSHORE FLOW...RIP CURRENTS ARE NOT A MAJOR CONCERN TODAY. HOWEVER...AS THE STORM DEPARTS...ONSHORE FLOW WOULD CREATE AN ELEVATED RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS ON MONDAY. ...TORNADO THREAT... THE PRIMARY AREA FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IN LANDFALLING TROPICAL SYSTEMS IS THE RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT (OR NORTHEASTERN SECTION) OF THE STORM. WITH THE TRACK OF JEANNE...EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA NOW FALL UNDER THAT QUADRANT OF THE STORM.THEREFORE...A SIGNIFICANT TORNADO THREAT IS POSSIBLE OVER THESE AREAS AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS ISSUED UNTIL 1 AM EDT. A MINIMAL THREAT EXISTS FURTHER TO THE WEST. ALL INTERESTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF JEANNE VERY CLOSELY...AS THIS THREAT MAY STILL SHIFT A BIT FURTHER WEST. AS FAR AS TIMING IS CONCERNED...THE GREATEST THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL EXTEND FROM SUNDAY LATE EVENING INTO MONDAY MORNING. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT ON JEANNE WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE BY 9 PM EDT. 24-BLOCK $$