Hurricane DENNIS

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HURRICANE DENNIS INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  20B
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
3 PM EDT SAT JUL 09 2005

...DENNIS CONTINUES TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED AS IT MOVES
NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS
FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE WESTWARD TO THE DRY TORTUGAS. A HURRICANE
WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEASTERN GULF
COAST FROM THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER WESTWARD TO THE MOUTH OF THE
PEARL RIVER.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST
COAST FROM EAST OF THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER SOUTHWARD...AND ALONG THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST FROM GOLDEN BEACH SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING THE
FLORIDA KEYS FROM SEVEN MILE BRIDGE EASTWARD. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA COAST WEST
OF THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER TO GRAND ISLE...INCLUDING
METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. 
 
A HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE OR
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...RESPECTIVELY...ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE
WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE HURRICANE
WARNING AREA.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 3 PM EDT...1900Z...INFORMATION FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT...
SATELLITE...AND COASTAL DOPPLER RADARS INDICATE THE CENTER OF THE
EYE OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH...
LONGITUDE 84.4 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 295 MILES... SOUTH OF
APALACHICOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 425 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PASCAGOULA
MISSISSIPPI.
 
DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...AND THIS MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
DENNIS IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.
SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND 
DENNIS COULD BECOME A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE AGAIN BY SUNDAY.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  35 MILES... 55 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 175 MILES...280 KM.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY MEASURED BY A RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT OF THE AIR FORCE RESERVE  WAS  962 MB...28.41 INCHES.
 
DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO
8 INCHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA...THE
FLORIDA KEYS...THE FLORIDA WEST COAST...THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.  ADDITIONAL RAIN
ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL CUBA...
WHICH COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES.
 
STORM SURGE WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE ALONG THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS
TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET IS POSSIBLE ALONG
THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF FLORIDA TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STORM SURGE OF
8 TO 10 FEET IS POSSIBLE ALONG AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE CENTER
OF DENNIS CROSSES THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST ON SUNDAY.
 
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
FLORIDA PENINSULA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY...AND ACROSS THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.
 
REPEATING THE 3 PM EDT POSITION...25.5 N... 84.4 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...100 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 962 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 5 PM EDT.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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