ZCZC MIATCPAT5 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE EARL INTEREMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 11A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1 AM CDT THU SEP 03 1998 ...EARL MAKING LANDFALL NEAR PANAMA CITY FLORIDA....BRINGING STRONG WINDS...STORM SURGE FLOODING...VERY HEAVY RAINS...AND TORNADOES... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA STATE LINE TO THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER FLORIDA. TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT SOUTH OF THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO THE ANCLOTE KEYS FLORIDA. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT WEST OF THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA STATE LINE TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 1 AM CDT...0600Z...SURFACE...RADAR AND RECONNAISSANCE PLANE DATA INDICATE THAT THE BROAD CENTER OF HURRICANE EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.8 WEST IN THE VICINITY OF PANAMA CITY FLORIDA. EARL IS MOVING ON A GENERAL NORTHEAST TRACK 10 TO 15 MPH. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER WILL BE INLAND DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. HOWEVER...HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXTEND WELL OUT TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER AND ARE CURRENTLY REACHING PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA GULF COAST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS IN A SMALL AREA WITHIN STRONG RAINBANDS TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY BEFORE THE CENTER MOVES COMPLETELY INLAND. CAPE SAN BLAS REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 55 MPH AND GUSTS TO 70 MPH DURING THE LAST HOUR. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 988 MB...29.17 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY ALONG THE PATH OF THE HURRICANE. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 7 TO 10 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE BATTERING WAVES ARE POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST. THIS STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS IN THE BIG BEND AREA OF FLORIDA...AND COULD BE LIFE-THREATENING. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA. REPEATING THE 1 AM CDT POSITION...30.2 N... 85.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 988 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 4 AM CDT. AVILA NNNN