Tampa Bay NWS weighs in -- Sat. night may be too late.....

[dixiebreeze]

to get prepared. TS Watch now for us gulf coasters:

BULLETIN
IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE JEANNE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
630 PM EDT FRI SEP 24 2002

...HURRICANE JEANNE SLOWLY APPROACHING FLORIDA'S EAST COAST...
...TROPICAL STORM WATCH FROM LEE COUNTY NORTHWARD TO ANCLOTE
KEYS INCLUDING THE TAMPA BAY AREA...
...INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH FOR SUMTER...POLK...HIGHLANDS AND
HARDEE COUNTIES...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
CITRUS...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...LEE...
LEVY...MANATEE...PASCO...PINELLAS...SARASOTA...HARDEE...
HIGHLANDS...POLK...SUMTER...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH NORTH TO
ANCLOTE KEYS.
AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SUMTER...POLK...
HIGHLANDS AND HARDEE COUNTIES.

...STORM LOCATION...
AT 5 PM EDT... THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JEANNE WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 73.5 WEST OR ABOUT 565 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE TAMPA BAY REGION. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 400 MILES
EAST OF THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST.

...CURRENT RADAR INFORMATION...
A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS ARE MOVING SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE REGION...HOWEVER
THE OUTER RAINBANDS OF JEANNE REMAIN WELL EAST OF FLORIDA AND ARE
CURRENTLY EFFECTING THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
JEANNE WILL MOVE NORTH NORTHWEST ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA SUNDAY
PRODUCING NEAR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS THAT WILL WEAKEN AS THE STORM
CONTINUES NORTH UP THE FLORIDA PENINSULA.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AS JEANNE MOVES NORTHWARD SUNDAY...WINDS WILL BECOME ONSHORE AND
BEGIN TO RAISE WATER LEVELS 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...BUT MAINLY
IN NORTH AND NORTHWEST EXPOSURES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE CURRENT FORECAST MOVEMENT OF JEANNE WILL KEEP THE HEAVIEST
RAINFALL OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF
3 TO 6 INCHES EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF HIGHLANDS...POLK AND SUMTER
COUNTIES AND 1 TO 3 INCHES ELSEWHERE. OUTER BANDS OF SHOWERS WILL BE
PASSING ACROSS THE STATE SATURDAY...WITH THE HEAVIEST RAIN AFFECTING
INTERIOR COUNTIES LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING.

RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING. IN POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS...SOME PROPERTY DAMAGE IS POSSIBLE...AND SOME MAIN
THOROUGHFARES MAY BE CLOSED. SOME SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL
SURPASS BANK FULL. LARGER RIVERS WILL RISE.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
AS JEANNE MOVES ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WINDS AND SEAS WILL
INCREASE OVER THE GULF MAKING CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS LATE SATURDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THE PRIMARY AREA FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IN TROPICAL SYSTEMS IS THE
RIGHT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE STORM. AS JEANNE MOVES NORTHWESTWARD
OVER THE PENINSULA... THAT PART OF THE STORM WILL AFFECT FLORIDA'S
EAST COAST AND THEREFORE THE TORNADO THREAT IS LESSENED FOR WEST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

...SHELTER AND ROAD STATUS...
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR SHELTER AND
ROAD STATUS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AND SECURE YOUR PROPERTY.
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR PREPARING FOR THE STORM.

GROCERY STORE MAY SELL OUT OF ITEMS SOON. STOCK UP ON...
BATTERIES FOR RADIOS AND FLASHLIGHTS
CANNED OR DRIED FOOD AND DRINKING WATER
FIRST AID SUPPLIES
PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE
CASH...CREDIT CARDS AND ATM'S MAY NOT WORK WITHOUT POWER
FUEL FOR AUTOMOBILES...GENERATORS AND CHAIN SAWS

AROUND THE HOUSE...
STORE LOOSE ITEMS SUCH AS TRASH CANS OR YARD FURNITURE
SECURE WINDOWS WITH SHUTTERS... BOARDS ETC
BATTERY OPERATED RADIOS ARE WORKING
MOVE BOAT TO A SAFE LOCATION
TRIM LARGE TREES THAT COULD FALL ON HOUSE
MAKE SURE VALUABLE PAPERS ARE SECURE

MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW. PLAN TO EVACUATE IF YOU LIVE...
IN A MOBILE HOME
ON THE COAST
IN A LOW LYING FLOOD PRONE AREA
IN A HIGH RISE

IF YOU MUST EVACUATE TO A PUBLIC SHELTER REMEMBER TO BRING...
FIRST AID KIT
MEDICINE
BABY FOOD AND DIAPERS
TOILETRIES
CHANGE OF CLOTHES
BATTERY POWERED RADIO AND EXTRA BATTERIES
FLASHLIGHT
SLEEPING BAGS OR BLANKETS
IDENTIFICATION
VALUABLE PAPERS
CASH
GAMES

REMEMBER...PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN PUBLIC SHELTERS.

IF YOU ARE STAYING AT HOME...
TURN REFRIGERATOR TO MAXIMUM COLD
TURN OFF PROPANE TANKS
UNPLUG SMALL APPLIANCES
FILL STERILIZED JUGS AND BOTTLES WITH WATER FOR DRINKING
FILL BATH TUB AND CONTAINERS WITH WATER FOR SANITARY
PURPOSES

WHEN WINDS BECOME STRONG...
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS
REMAIN IN A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE FIRST FLOOR
CLOSE ALL INTERIOR DOORS
SECURE AND BRACE EXTERIOR DOORS.

PRECAUTIONS OUTSIDE YOUR HOME SHOULD BE STARTED SOON WHILE THE
WEATHER IS STILL GOOD. IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK OUTSIDE BY
SATURDAY NIGHT.

[tronbunny]

Whoa!
Now inland hurricane wind watch for polk and sumter...
That doesn't jive with the track that NHC had at 11am this morning.
I haven't checked every coordinate, but it sounds like a west shift to me.
And again, much more gloomy than the Charley and Frances statements.
Am I just bluer or does anyone else see this?

[dixiebreeze]

Yeah, Bunny, this is starting to sound like it's for real -- even for us on the western fringes. Pantry is full of bottled water, coolers are ready and the cupboard is loaded with tuna.

Gas tank full (though we will ride it out) and will hit the ATM in the a.m. Got a couple of good books, too

[Lebowsky]

I'm tired of this, I'm going to drink my way through Jeanne, consequences be damned.

[hibiscushouse]

I swear, all I did was go into the kitchen to turn the chicken, walk back in my office and find we're in the cone again.
It's like the last 6 weeks condensed into 5 minutes.

[hibiscushouse]

This is off topic (sorry mods...please don't move the thread, I won't mention it again, I promise), but my son is finished with his little league practice and Dad called to say the rest of the team was thinking about going out to dinner. So he puts my son on the phone and I remind him that we were going to watch Storm Stories together tonight and I already had some dinner ready (I know, some of you are sick of storm stories, but I love it still ). He said he wanted to come home and watch it with me instead of go out with his buddies. Ahhhhh (good feelings abound) I've infected him with this contagious bug.

[tronbunny]

hibiscus, my 10yo son is just getting ready for the same!!