heh--if I didn't make it home last night, I would have been camping in your home state for a day or so (flight cxn thru DFW).
Hurricane Katrina Intermediate Advisory Number 11a
Statement as of 7:00 am EDT on August 26, 2005
...Katrina churning westward over the Gulf of Mexico...
a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for all of the Florida Keys
and Florida Bay from Dry Tortugas northward... along the East Coast
of Florida from Florida City northward to Deerfield Beach... and
along the Gulf Coast of Florida from south of Florida City westward
and northward to Longboat Key. A Tropical Storm Warning means that
tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area
within the next 24 hours.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for portions of the Florida
West Coast from north of Longboat Key to Anclote Key. A tropical
storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible
within the watch area... generally within 36 hours.
For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.
At 7 am EDT...1300z...the center of Hurricane Katrina was located
near latitude 25.3 north... longitude 81.8 west or about 50 miles
north of Key West Florida and about 60 miles south of Naples
Florida.
Katrina is moving toward the west near 5 mph and this motion
is expected to continue for the next 24 hours... with a
slight increase in forward speed.
Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts.
Katrina is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
scale. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the
center... and tropical storm force winds extend outward up
to 85 miles.
Estimated minimum central pressure is 987 mb...29.15 inches.
Storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels...
can be expected along the West Coast of Florida in areas of onshore
flow south of Venice... and in Florida Bay. Storm surge should
continue to decrease this morning along the East Coast of Florida.
Katrina is expected to produce additional rainfall of 5 to 8 inches
over extreme southern Florida and the Florida Keys. Isolated storm
total amounts of 15 to 20 inches are possible.
Isolated tornadoes are possible today over southern Florida and the
Florida Keys.
Repeating the 7 am EDT position...25.3 N... 81.8 W. Movement
toward...west near 5 mph. Maximum sustained
winds... 75 mph. Minimum central pressure... 987 mb.
An intermediate advisory will be issued at 9 am EDT... followed by
the next complete advisory at 11 am EDT.
Forecaster Stewart