ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM ..COR BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 9A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM CDT THU SEP 10 1998 TO ADD TORNADOES TO LOUISIANA COAST... ...HEAVY SQUALLS ASSOCIATED WITH FRANCIS NEARING THE TEXAS COAST... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST FROM TAMPICO MEXICO NORTH AND EAST TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER IN MISSISSIPPI...INCLUDING LAKES PONTCHARTRAIN AND MAUREPAS. TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED BY HURRICANE WARNINGS OVER A PORTION OF THE WARNED AREA LATER TONIGHT OR EARLY FRIDAY. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT FROM THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER MISSISSIPPI TO PENSACOLA FLORIDA. SURFACE DATA INDICATE THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES HAS SHIFTED NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AND AT 7 PM CDT...0000Z...THE AREA OF MINIMUM PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE POORLY-DEFINED AND ELONGATED CENTER WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.5 NORTH... LONGITUDE 95.6 WEST OR ABOUT 115 MILES...185 KM...EAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A NORTH NORTHWESTWARD SHIFT IN THE ESTIMATED CENTER DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS...A SLOW WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TONIGHT...BRINGING THE CENTER OF FRANCES TO THE MID TEXAS COAST FRIDAY MORNING. MEANWHILE...BANDS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT COASTAL AND OFFSHORE AREAS OF THE NORTHWESTERN AND NORTH-CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. VERY STRONG SQUALLS ARE CURRENTLY APPROACHING THE MID TEXAS COAST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 345 MILES...555 KM MAINLY IN HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES. TIDES OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA COASTS...AND 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST ARE LIKELY...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES. FLOODING OF COMMUNITIES AND HIGHWAYS HAS BEEN REPORTED AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE WARNED AREA. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS OF 6 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF TEXAS...EXTREME NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES ALONG THE COAST OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA TONIGHT. REPEATING THE 7 PM CDT POSITION...27.5 N... 95.6 W. MOVEMENT... DRIFTING WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ...60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 994 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 PM CDT. AVILA NNNN