ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTEREMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 43A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 2 AM EDT SAT SEP 26 1998 ...GEORGES MOVING SLOWLY AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM KEY LARGO SOUTHWARD AND FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM BAYPORT SOUTHWARD. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT FROM STUART TO KEY LARGO UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COAST FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO ST. MARKS FLORIDA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR A PORTION OF THIS AREA LATER TODAY IN EXPECTATION OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HURRICANE REACHING THE AREA TONIGHT. AT 2 AM EDT...0600Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.0 WEST OR ABOUT 145 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA OR 500 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM...MAINLY TO THE EAST. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 976 MB...28.82 INCHES. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA WEST COAST AND THE KEYS. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. REPEATING THE 2 AM EDT POSITION...25.2 N... 84.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 976 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 AM EDT...SATURDAY. AVILA NNNN