NPWEYW URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 530 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 FLZ076>078-241600- /X.CON.KEYW.HU.W.1024.000000T0000Z-051024T1600Z/ MONROE LOWER KEYS-MONROE MIDDLE KEYS-MONROE UPPER KEYS- INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF...KEY LARGO...KEY WEST...MARATHON ...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS... ...ANYONE WHO HAS REMAINED IN THE KEYS SHOULD ALREADY BE IN THE SAFEST PLACE POSSIBLE... ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS... ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS... ...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE... STORM INFORMATION UPDATED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS UPDATED. WIND IMPACTS UPDATED. MARINE IMPACTS UPDATED. STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS UPDATED. RAINFALL IMPACTS UPDATED. ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY. ...WATCHES AND WARNINGS... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING DRY TORTUGAS AND FLORIDA BAY...AND ALL SURROUNDING WATERS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM MONDAY FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MONDAY FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. ...STORM INFORMATION... HURRICANE WILMA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE...AND IS SLIGHTLY STRONGER. AT 500 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.4 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 75 MILES NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST...OR ABOUT 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NAPLES. WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH...AND A CONTINUED INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 125 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED BEFORE LANDFALL...WHICH ON ITS CURRENT TRACK WILL BE ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA IN A FEW HOURS. WILMA IS A LARGE HURRICANE IN SIZE...WITH SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING UP TO 90 MILES OUT FROM THE CENTER...AND WITH SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS UP TO 230 MILES OUT FROM THE CENTER. SOME WEAKENING IS LIKELY AS WILMA CROSSES THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 950 MB...OR 28.05 INCHES OF MERCURY. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... ANYONE WHO HAS REMAINED IN THE KEYS SHOULD STAY IN THE SAFEST PLACE POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND RISING TIDES WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE KEYS FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS. DO NOT DRIVE UNTIL WIND...TIDE...AND ROAD CONDITIONS IMPROVE LATER TODAY. MONROE COUNTY OFFICES AND COURTS ARE TO BE CLOSED TODAY AND TUESDAY. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE TO BE CLOSED TODAY AND TUESDAY. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOL DAYTIME CUSTODIANS SHOULD REPORT TUESDAY. ALL CAMPUSES OF FLORIDA KEYS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE TO BE CLOSED TODAY. THE CITY OF KEY WEST HAS ENACTED A CURFEW EFFECTIVE UNTIL 7 AM THIS MORNING. ...WIND IMPACTS... HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OF 74 MPH OR GREATER...EITHER SUSTAINED OR IN FREQUENT GUSTS...ARE NOW AFFECTING ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS...AND SHOULD CONTINUE OVER SOME OF THE KEYS UNTIL AROUND 1000 AM. THEREAFTER... TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 MPH OR MORE WILL AFFECT LOWER KEYS LOCATIONS UNTIL APPROXIMATELY NOON...AND AFFECT MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS LOCATIONS UNTIL AROUND 300 PM. REPORTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FROM KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DUE TO COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGE. RECENT PEAK WIND GUST REPORTS FROM OTHER GAUGES INCLUDE 120 MPH AT 453 AM ON CUDJOE KEY...101 MPH AT SOMBRERO KEY AT 449 AM...AND 74 MPH AT LONG KEY AT 455 AM. ...MARINE IMPACTS... SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. WINDS ARE TURNING TO SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST AT THIS TIME...WITH AN EVENTUAL TURN TO WEST WINDS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. RISING TIDES WILL CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN MARINAS. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE HAVE BEEN REPORTED. AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE WEST TOWARD MORNING...STORM TIDES OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE INDICATED ON THE GULF SIDE AND THE BAY SIDE. EXPECT A SUDDEN RISE OF WATER LEVELS ON THE BAY AND GULF SIDE OF ALL THE KEYS THIS MORNING. ...TORNADO IMPACTS... THE FLORIDA KEYS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT FOR TORNADOES WITHIN SPIRAL RAINBANDS...ESPECIALLY NOW THROUGH LATE MORNING. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE KEYS THROUGH 1100 AM. TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH SPIRAL BANDS FORM AND MOVE VERY RAPIDLY...AND CAN CROSS KEYS ISLAND LOCATIONS WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. ...RAINFALL IMPACTS... RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAINS ARE EXPECTED THIS MORNING THROUGH MIDDAY. SEVERE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU LIVE IN A HIGHLY FLOOD-PRONE AREA TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 730 AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST. $$ BROCK/RIZZO