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Hurricane Katrina Advisory Number 14
Statement as of 5:00 PM EDT on August 26, 2005

...Katrina continuing to move west-southwestward away from the
Florida Keys...
...Watches and warnings discontinued for Mainland Florida...

 
at 5 PM EDT...2100z...all warnings and watches for peninsular
Florida have been discontinued.

 
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the Florida Keys
and Florida Bay from Key Largo south and westward to Key West and
the Dry Tortugas.

 
For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.

 

At 5 PM EDT...2100z...the center of Hurricane Katrina was located
near latitude 24.8 north... longitude 82.9 west or about 70
miles... west-northwest of Key West Florida.

 
Katrina is moving toward the west-southwest near  8 mph. This motion
is forecast to continue this evening...with a gradual turn toward
the west expected on Saturday.

 
Recent reports from an Air Force Reserve unit hurricane hunter
aircraft indicate maximum sustained winds remain near 100 mph...
with higher gusts. Katrina is a category two hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson scale. Some strengthening is forecast during the
next 24 hours...and Katrina is forecast to become a category three
...Major... hurricane today and on Saturday.

 
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to  25 miles... from the
center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to  85
miles. During the past hour...a sustained wind of 81 mph with a
gust to 105 mph was reported at Dry Tortugas C-man station located
in the southern eyewall. Sustained winds of tropical storm-force
are still occurring across the lower Florida Keys...while wind
gusts to tropical storm-force are occurring across the middle to
upper Florida Keys.

 
The minimum central pressure recently reported by reconnaissance
aircraft was  965 mb...28.50 inches.

 
Storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels...
can be expected along the southwest coast of Florida in areas of
onshore flow east of Cape Sable... and in Florida Bay.  Storm surge
will gradually subside tonight.

Katrina is expected to produce additional rainfall of 5 to 8 inches
over the lower Florida Keys...with isolated storm total amounts of
15 to 20 inches. Rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches are expected
over northwestern Cuba...and 1 to 3 inches of rainfall is expected
over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

 
Isolated tornadoes are possible this afternoon and tonight over the
Florida Keys.

 

Repeating the 5 PM EDT position...24.8 N... 82.9 W.  Movement
toward...west-southwest near  8 mph.  Maximum sustained
winds...100 mph.  Minimum central pressure... 965 mb.

 
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane
Center at 8 PM EDT followed by the next complete advisory at 11 PM
EDT.

 
Forecaster Stewart