ZCZC MIATCPAT5 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE EARL INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 12A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 AM CDT THU SEP 03 1998 ...EARL CENTERED WELL INLAND...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS STILL OVER APALACHEE BAY... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF PANAMA CITY 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. THESE WARNINGS ARE LIKELY TO BE DISCONTINUED LATER THIS MORNING. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT WEST OF PANAMA CITY TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 7 AM CDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 31.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.2 WEST OR OVER SOUTHWEST GEORGIA ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY GEORGIA. EARL IS MOVING FASTER TOWARD THE NORTHEAST...NEAR 16 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF EARL IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN WELL INLAND. HOWEVER...IF THE TRACK IS CLOSER TO THE COAST THAN FORECAST...THEN SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD BE EXPERIENCED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC COAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO. GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE NOW OCCURRING OVER THE GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS. RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT DATA INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH IN A SMALL AREA OVER APALACHEE BAY...WELL TO THE SOUTH OF THE CENTER. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST FROM THE CENTER. EARL IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN OVER LAND. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 989 MB...29.21 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY ALONG THE PATH OF THE HURRICANE. STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL BE DECREASING DURING THE DAY. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA. REPEATING THE 8 AM CDT POSITION...31.2 N... 84.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 16 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 989 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 AM CDT. RAPPAPORT NNNN