North Texas Special Weather Advisory 9/22 527am

[Scooter24]

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=TXZ119&warncounty=TXC113&local_place1=Dallas&product1=Special+Weather+Statement

Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
527 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-221830-
MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN-
HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS-
ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL-
JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-
NAVARRO-FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-
LIMESTONE-LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BOWIE...NOCONA...GAINESVILLE...
SHERMAN...DENISON...BONHAM...PARIS...GRAHAM...OLNEY...JACKSBORO...
DECATUR...BRIDGEPORT...DENTON...LEWISVILLE...FLOWER MOUND...
THE COLONY...PLANO...GREENVILLE...COMMERCE...COOPER...
SULPHUR SPRINGS...BRECKENRIDGE...MINERAL WELLS...WEATHERFORD...
BRIAR...FORT WORTH...ARLINGTON...DALLAS...ROCKWALL...TERRELL...
KAUFMAN...FORNEY...WILLS POINT...CANTON...GRAND SALINE...VAN...
EDGEWOOD...EMORY...POINT...EAST TAWAKONI...CISCO...EASTLAND...
RANGER...GORMAN...STEPHENVILLE...DUBLIN...GRANBURY...
OAK TRAIL SHORES...GLEN ROSE...CLEBURNE...BURLESON...WAXAHACHIE...
ENNIS...MIDLOTHIAN...GLENN HEIGHTS...ATHENS...GUN BARREL CITY...
COMANCHE...DE LEON...GOLDTHWAITE...HAMILTON...HICO...CLIFTON...
MERIDIAN...VALLEY MILLS...HILLSBORO...CORSICANA...TEAGUE...
FAIRFIELD...PALESTINE...LAMPASAS...COPPERAS COVE...GATESVILLE...
KILLEEN...TEMPLE...FORT HOOD...WACO...MARLIN...MEXIA...
GROESBECK...BUFFALO...CENTERVILLE...JEWETT...OAKWOOD...CAMERON...
ROCKDALE...HEARNE...FRANKLIN...CALVERT
527 AM CDT THU SEP 22 2005

...MAJOR HURRICANE RITA PATH CHANGES...NORTH TEXAS STILL MAY FEEL
AFFECTS...

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE LANDFALL AND DECAY PATH OF HURRICANE
RITA HAVE OCCURRED OVERNIGHT.

HURRICANE RITA IS NOW EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE UPPER
TEXAS GULF COAST PRIOR TO SUNRISE ON SATURDAY. RITA HAS REMAINED
A CATEGORY 5 STORM ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE OVERNIGHT AND AT
897 MB...IT CONTINUES TO BE THE THIRD LOWEST ATLANTIC STORM
CENTRAL PRESSURE EVER. FORTUNATELY THE HURRICANE SHOULD WEAKEN
BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL...BUT IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE A DANGEROUS
CATEGORY 4 STORM.

AFTER THE STORM MAKES LANDFALL...THE HURRICANE SHOULD WEAKEN
AS IT MOVES INLAND. THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK FROM THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER WOULD BRING THE WEAKENING HURRICANE NORTH TO NEAR
PALESTINE SATURDAY NIGHT AND NORTHEAST OF PARIS DURING THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY.

THREE BIG FACTORS HAVE CREATED THE CHANGE IN PATH. FIRST...HURRICANE
RITA HAS ALREADY MOVED FURTHER NORTH THEN ORIGINALLY EXPECTED.
SECOND...THE RIDGE THAT IS KEEPING RITA MOVING WEST HAS STARTED TO
WEAKEN. AND FINALLY...ALMOST ALL OF OUR MODELS HAVE MOVED THE
LANDFALL POSITION FURTHER EAST OVERNIGHT.

WHILE THE CHANGE IN FORECAST PATH WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE SOME
OF THE IMPACTS ON NORTH TEXAS...WE ARE STILL FAR FROM OUT OF THE
WOODS. IF THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE DOES NOT BREAK DOWN FAST
ENOUGH...THE STORM COULD STILL MOVE FURTHER WEST AND BRING
SIGNIFICANT GREATER IMPACTS.

HERE ARE SOME EXPECTED EFFECTS FOR NORTH TEXAS...BOTH WITH THE
CURRENT PATH AND WITH A MORE WESTERLY LANDFALL AND DECAY.

1. HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING. WITH THE LATEST FORECAST PATH...3 TO 5
INCHES WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE FOR EASTERN AREAS OF NORTH TEXAS...GENERALLY
EAST OF A LINE FROM BONHAM...TO CENTERVILLE. A MORE WESTWARD
LANDFALL WOULD INCREASE THE THREAT OF FLOODING AND RAIN AMOUNTS
SIGNIFICANTLY.

2. STRONG WINDS. EXPECT 40 TO 60 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS IN SQUALLS...EAST OF A LINE FROM HEARNE TO CORSICANA AND
CANTON. THESE WINDS MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO KNOCK DOWN TREES...POWER
LINES AND CAUSE LOCALIZED MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. RESIDENTS
SHOULD PREPARE FOR INTERRUPTIONS IN POWER SERVICE. ALSO
REMEMBER...MOBILE HOMES OFTEN ROLL OVER DURING PERIODS OF HIGH
WINDS AND CAN EASILY BE DAMAGED BY FALLING TREES. WINDS SHOULD
TAPER OFF TO 30 TO 40 MPH SUNDAY MORNING AS RITA CONTINUES TO
WEAKEN...BUT THESE WINDS WILL LIKELY BE FELT OVER EASTERN SECTIONS OF
NORTH TEXAS. RESIDENTS ACROSS ALL OF NORTH TEXAS SHOULD SECURE
SMALL AND LIGHTWEIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.

3. A FEW TORNADOES. AS WITH ALL LAND FALLING HURRICANES...ISOLATED
TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE. THIS WILL BE MOST LIKELY ALONG AND TO
THE EAST OF A LINE FROM BONHAM TO CENTERVILLE.

4. TRAVEL PROBLEMS. INCREASED TRAFFIC ON INTER-STATES AS PEOPLE
EVACUATE FROM THE HURRICANE. WET ROADS...HEAVY RAINFALL AND INCREASED
TRAFFIC COULD LEAD TO DELAYS AND ACCIDENTS. SOME AIRLINE DELAYS WILL
BE POSSIBLE. ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATIONS THIS
WEEKEND.

DISSIPATING HURRICANES HAVE MOVED ACROSS NORTH TEXAS MANY TIMES IN
THE PAST...TYPICALLY WITH SOME WIND DAMAGE AND FLASH FLOODING AS
WELL AS RIVER FLOODING. RESIDENTS AND THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS
NORTH TEXAS THIS WEEKEND SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THIS SYSTEM AND STAY
TUNED TO THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

MORE INFORMATION ON HURRICANE RITA...AND OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS
THAT HAVE AFFECTED NORTH TEXAS...IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AT:

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/FWD

[crispini]

1. Good info.

:kick: