THE BHMNPWMOB PRODUCT FOR DETAILS RELATED TO THE INLAND AREAS.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE SAME AREAS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM CDT...MOBILE RADAR ESTIMATED THE CENTER OF HURRICANE
KATRINA TO BE INLAND OVER PEARL RIVER COUNTY NEAR PICAYUNE...OR ABOUT
85 MILES WEST OF THE MOBILE AIRPORT IN WEST MOBILE. KATRINA IS MOVING
NORTH AROUND 15 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY
AND TONIGHT. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY
FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON TUESDAY.

KATRINA IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE...WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE COMPLETED.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE STORM TIDE WAS AROUND 11 FEET ALONG
COASTLINE OF MOBILE COUNTY...7 TO 8 FEET OVER THE NORTHERN REACHES OF
MOBILE BAY...AND 5 TO 6 FEET FURTHER EASTWARD TO NEAR PENSACOLA.

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS NEAR 75 TO 100 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL
CONTINUE TO SPREAD INLAND ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI INTO THE
EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 50 T0 60 MPH WITH GUST TO AROUND
80 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INLAND ACROSS MOBILE COUNTY
THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 70 MPH
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF BALDWIN COUNTY...WITH SLIGHTLY LESSER
WINDS EXPECTED FURTHER EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHWEST FLORIDA THROUGH
EARLY AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD FURTHER INLAND
ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH ACROSS
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI DURING THE EARLY TO MID EVENING HOURS TODAY.
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE ACROSS THE
ENTIRE AREA DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS.

...RIP CURRENTS...
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ARE OCCURRING. SWIMMERS SHOULD NOT
ENTER THE WATER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

...RAINFALL...
SQUALLS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE KATRINA WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON...WITH WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES EXPECTED...
WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THE HIGHER
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY BE FELT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...OR THOSE AREAS CLOSER TO
THE CENTER OF THE STORM AS IT PUSHES INLAND.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FROM THIS OFFICE
AROUND 130 PM CDT.

$$

DARBE