ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 11A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 AM CDT FRI SEP 11 1998 ...FLOOD THREAT SPREADING INLAND OVER TEXAS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE GULF OF MEXICO FROM BAFFIN BAY TEXAS NORTH AND EAST TO MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA...BUT WILL LIKELY BE DISCONTINUED BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SMALL CRAFT FROM MORGAN CITY TO PENSACOLA FLORIDA...AND SOUTHWARD FROM BAFFIN BAY THROUGH THE NORTHEAST COAST OF MEXICO SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 7 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS LOCATED INLAND NEAR LATITUDE 28.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 98.0 WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SAN ANTONIO TEXAS. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. A NORTHWEST OR WEST-NORTHWEST DIRECTION OF MOTION AND SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TO THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF FRANCES AND ITS FLOODING RAINS WILL BE MOVING FARTHER INLAND OVER TEXAS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...AND ARE OCCURRING PRIMARILY WITHIN 50 MILES OF THE CENTER AND IN SQUALLS OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO. A SUSTAINED WIND SPEED OF 47 MPH WITH A GUST TO 55 MPH WAS REPORTED AT 5 AM CDT...1000Z...NEAR SABINE TEXAS. FURTHER WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND FRANCES IS LIKELY TO BE DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATER TODAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 290 MILES...465 KM FROM THE CENTER OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 993 MB...29.32 INCHES. STORM TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY DECREASE DURING THE DAY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE TRACK OF FRANCES...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE OVER PORTIONS OF TEXAS AND SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES ALONG THE COAST OF LOUISIANA AND OVER SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS. REPEATING THE 7 AM CDT POSITION...28.7 N... 98.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 45 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 993 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 AM CDT. RAPPAPORT NNNN