FFATLH ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-052100- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 400 PM EDT SAT SEP 4 2004 ...A FLOOD WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...THE FLORIDA BIG BEND...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...FROM SUNDAY TO TUESDAY... HURRICANE FRANCES IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA TODAY AND THEN MOVE NORTHWEST OVER THE APALACHEE BAY...AND THEN INLAND OVER NORTH FLORIDA TO SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. HEAVY RAINFALL SHOULD BEGIN ON SUNDAY AND TORRENTIAL RAINS ARE LIKELY OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA THROUGH TUESDAY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH EFFECTIVE SUNDAY TO TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES. IN FLORIDA... BAY...CALHOUN...COASTAL AND INLAND WALTON...DIXIE...FRANKLIN... GADSDEN...GULF...HOLMES...JACKSON...JEFFERSON..LAFAYETTE..LEON... LIBERTY...MADISON..TAYLOR...WAKULLA AND WASHINGTON. IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA... BAKER...BEN HILL...BERRIEN...BROOKS...CALHOUN...CLAY...COLQUITT... COOK...DECATUR...DOUGHERTY...EARLY...GRADY...IRWIN...LANIER...LEE... LOWNDES...MILLER...MITCHELL...QUITMAN...RANDOLPH...SEMINOLE... TERRELL...THOMAS...TIFT...TURNER AND WORTH. IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... COFFEE...DALE...GENEVA...HENRY AND HOUSTON. INTERESTS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD TAKE THE TIME TO PROTECT LIFE AND SECURE PROPERTY NOW BEFORE THE ONSET OF HEAVY RAINS. GENERAL OVERALL RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE LIKELY...WITH LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THESE RAINFALL TOTALS ARE DEPENDANT UPON THE EXACT TRACK AND FORWARD SPEED OF THE STORM AS IT MOVES OVER THE AREA. IF THE STORM WERE TO SLOW SIGNIFICANTLY OR EVEN STALL OVER THE AREA...RAINFALL TOTALS COULD BE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER. FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS VERY LIKELY. STREET AND LOW LYING AREAS IN TOWNS AND CITIES WILL BE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING. THOSE AREAS ALONG THE COAST OF NORTH FLORIDA WILL BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO FLOODING DURING HIGH TIDES. MOST AREA RIVERS ARE RELATIVELY LOW RIGHT NOW...HOWEVER...IF THE HIGHER RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE REALIZED IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME WILL REACH FLOOD STAGE. A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WATCH AREA...WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLOODING ALONG AREA RIVERS. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA...CHECK YOUR PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE INTERESTS ALONG AREA RIVERS AND COASTAL LOCATIONS. KEEP INFORMED...AND BE READY FOR ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED. RESIDENTS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE MONITOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PERSONS IN THE AFFECTED AREA SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO. BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. $$ 7-TREXLER