URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TROPICAL STORM HANNA LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 539 PM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008
…CENTER OF HANNA MOVING AWAY FROM THE REGION…HEAVY RAINS HAVE ENDED BUT FLOODING CONTINUES…
AT 500 PM EDT…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 38.5 NORTH…LONGITUDE 75.8 WEST OR JUST EAST OF CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BALTIMORE MARYLAND OR ABOUT 71 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF WASHINGTON DC.
HANNA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 28 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF HANNA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE MID ATLANTIC STATES TONIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. HANNA IS EXPECTED TO LOSE TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON SUNDAY.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES FROM THE CENTER. GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE INTO THIS EVENING ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL MARYLAND AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 994 MB…29.35 INCHES. DCZ001-MDZ007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>055-057-070045- /O.CON.KLWX.TR.W.1008.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/ DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-HARFORD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES- ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-CALVERT- PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-KING GEORGE- 539 PM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 …TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT…
…NEW INFORMATION…
ALL SECTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
…AREAS AFFECTED…
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY PERSONS IN… CENTRAL MARYLAND…NORTHERN MARYLAND…SOUTHERN MARYLAND…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA…CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
…WATCHES/WARNINGS…
NUMEROUS FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT.
…PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. WITH WIDESPREAD FLOODING STILL ONGOING…BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOOD. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS…TURN AROUND…DONT DROWN.
…INLAND FLOODING…
RAIN HAS ENDED ACROSS THE REGION. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES FELL ACROSS THE REGION TODAY WHICH RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING. MANY ROADS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND CENTRAL MARYLAND REMAIN CLOSED.
…STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE…
TIDE LEVELS ARE RUNNING AROUND 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. STORM SURGE WILL BEGIN TO GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT.
…WINDS…
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH 9 PM. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEAST MARYLAND. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE MAY CAUSE TREES AND POWER LINES TO FALL AND CAUSE SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.
…PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS…
THERE IS A 9 PERCENT CHANCE OF TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS FOR ANNAPOLIS MD.
…NEXT UPDATE…
THIS STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED AROUND 830 PM.