NPWEYW URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 730 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. WIND IMPACTS UPDATED. MARINE IMPACTS UPDATED. STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE 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 REMAINS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE. AT 700 AM EDT... THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.4 WEST...WHICH IS ABOUT 110 MILES NORTH OF KEY WEST. THIS POSITION IS INLAND ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF EVERGLADES CITY. WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 23 MPH...AND A CONTINUED INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME WEAKENING IS LIKELY AS WILMA CROSSES THE SOUTH FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY. 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. 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...EITHER AS SUSTAINED WINDS OR AS FREQUENT GUSTS IN SQUALLS WILL AFFECT THE KEYS FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. RISING TIDE LEVELS WILL BE EXPERIENCED ON THE GULF SIDE AND BAY SIDE OF ISLANDS THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING. 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. ...WIND IMPACTS... HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OF 74 MPH OR GREATER...EITHER SUSTAINED OR IN FREQUENT GUSTS...WILL LIKELY AFFECT MUCH OF THE KEYS AREA 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. SOME RECENT PEAK WIND GUST REPORTS FROM OTHER GAUGES INCLUDE 105 MPH AT SOMBRERO KEY...AND 84 MPH AT LONG KEY. ...MARINE IMPACTS... SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. WINDS ARE TURNING SOUTHWEST AND WEST...WHICH WILL PRODUCE THE EXPECTED RISE IN WATER LEVELS ON THE GULF AND BAY SIDE OF THE ISLANDS. THESE RISING TIDES WILL CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN MARINAS. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... STORM TIDES OF NEAR 4 FEET WERE REPORTED EARLIER AT PLACES ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE OF ISLANDS. THESE WATERS MAY BE SLOW TO RECEDE... ESPECIALLY NEAR CHANNELS THAT CONNECT TO THE BAY AND GULF. MEANWHILE...STORM TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE THROUGH 1000 AM ON THE GULF AND BAY SIDE OF ISLANDS...WITH STORM TIDES OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. ...TORNADO IMPACTS... THE FLORIDA KEYS REMAIN WITHIN AN AREA OF POSSIBLE TORNADOES.... ESPECIALLY WITHIN SPIRAL RAINBANDS. 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. 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 930 AM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST. $$ BROCK/RIZZO