Center of Frances Beginning to Lean Towards...

[weatherFrEaK]

St. Lucie and Martin Counties.

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT...IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
610 PM EDT SAT SEP 4 2004

..DESTRUCTIVE EYEWALL OF FRANCES MAKING ITS WAY TOWARD THE SAINT
LUCIE AND MARTIN COUNTY COAST...

A RAINBAND AROUND THE EYEWALL OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO
AFFECT THE MARTIN AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTY COAST WITH DAMAGING
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS GUSTS TO 80 MPH. REMAIN IN THE SAFE AREA OF
YOUR STURDY STRUCTURE...AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS. AS SIMILAR
RAINBANDS MOVED ONSHORE EARLIER TODAY THEY PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE...DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.

BETWEEN 7 AND 8 PM THIS EVENING...THE OUTER EYEWALL OF HURRICANE
FRANCES WILL APPROACH THE MARTIN AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTIES. THE
INTENSE RAIN BAND ASSOCIATED WITH THE EYEWALL WILL SPAWN DAMAGING
AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS WITH GUSTS RAPIDLY INCREASING TO 100 MPH
AS IT MOVES ONSHORE.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THE
EYEWALL WILL CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ACROSS SAINT LUCIE AND MARTIN
COUNTIES THIS EVENING. REMAIN INDOORS IN A STURDY ROOM...AWAY FROM
EXPOSED WINDOWS OR DOORS. THE EAST AND NORTHEAST SIDE OF STRUCTURES
WILL TAKE THE BRUNT OF THE DAMAGING WINDS.

[simplykristi]

That's not good at all!!!!!

krsiti

[NFLnut]

Does that show a more westerly track than previously thought? I can't remember where Vero is county-wise, and my current radar map won't show cities. I know that Vero has been the point of landfall they've stuck with for the last day or so. Would this info show it coming in farther south than Vero?

[weatherFrEaK]

Vero Beach is just north of St. Lucie County, in SE Indian River County. It may get the northern eyewall if the current course holds true.

[Rainband]

I hope it doesn't move west that will put me in the northern quad and thats where the most rain is.

[Guest]

The eyewall is shrinking http://radar.weather.gov/radar/loop/DS.p20-r/si.kamx.shtml

[NFLnut]

Do you all see that shrinking eye wall as meaning a strengthening, or a weakening? It almost looks, as someone else posted here, that the eyewall is "filling in" or to me, collapsing. I would take it that means it is falling apart and disorganizing slightly.

[tampastorm]

No pro but at this point I would say strengthening, Is that correct?

[debbiet]

Definitely not a pro either...but TWC has been mentioning a "contracting" eyewall as not a good thing...meaning could be trying to strengthen a little.