SEE THE BHMNPWMOB PRODUCT FOR DETAILS RELATED TO THE INLAND AREAS.

A TORNADO AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 500 AM CDT...MOBILE RADAR ESTIMATED THE CENTER OF HURRICANE
KATRINA TO BE ABOUT 125 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE MOUTH OF MOBILE BAY...
AND MOVING NORTH NEAR 15 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS FORECAST TO
CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-
NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER
TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK...KATRINA WILL MOVE ONSHORE THE SOUTHEASTERN
LOUISIANA COAST JUST EAST OF GRAND ISLE THIS MORNING...AND REACH THE
LOUISIANA-MISSISSIPPI BORDER AREA THIS AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL
CONTINUE TO STEADILY DETERIORATE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN
LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA THROUGHOUT
THE DAY.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 915 MB...27.02 INCHES.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. KATRINA IS A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-
SIMPSON SCALE.

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

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
KATRINA HAS BEGUN TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA COAST NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A
SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED TO BE FELT
WELL EAST OF THE STORM CENTER ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA
COASTLINES.

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK AND SPEED...A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR
LAND-FALLING HURRICANE WOULD BRING TIDE LEVELS AS HIGH AS 10 TO 15
FEET ALONG COASTAL MOBILE COUNTY AND THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF MOBILE
BAY. TIDE LEVELS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD SEVERALLY AFFECT DOWNTOWN
MOBILE WITH WATER SPILLING INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND EXTENDING AS
FAR WEST AS BROAD STREET. IN ADDITION...DAUPHIN ISLAND WOULD LIKELY
BE INUNDATED...EXCEPT FOR HIGHER GROUND ON THE EAST END.

A STORM TIDE OF 10 TO 12 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG COASTAL BALDWIN
COUNTY...COMPARABLE TO HURRICANE IVAN OF LAST YEAR. SIGNIFICANT
INUNDATION IS LIKELY ALONG THE BEACHES OF GULF SHORES AND ORANGE
BEACH. PARTS OF THE FORT MORGAN PENINSULA WILL LIKELY BE INUNDATED AS
WELL.

TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA COAST WILL RANGE FROM NEAR
8 FEET IN THE PENSACOLA AREA TO AROUND 5 FEET IN THE DESTIN AREA.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...40 T0 50 MPH WITH GUST TO NEAR 75
MPH...WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INLAND ACROSS MISSISSIPPI AND THE
ALABAMA AND FLORIDA COASTAL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS...75 MPH OR GREATER...ARE LIKELY ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI
AND ALABAMA COASTS BY MID MORNING...THEN SPREADING FURTHER INLAND
ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO NEAR
HURRICANE STRENGTH OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST ALABAMA THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON.

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

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

...RAINFALL...
SQUALLS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE KATRINA WILL LIKELY CONTINUE
THROUGH TONIGHT 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 700 AM CDT.

$$

PURDY