ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 46A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM CDT SAT SEP 26 1998 ...GEORGES POSES DANGEROUS FLOOD THREAT TO NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM STORM SURGE AND RAINFALL... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO PANAMA CITY FLORIDA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF PANAMA CITY FLORIDA TO ST. MARKS FLORIDA. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA. AT 7 PM CDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.5 WEST OR ABOUT 215 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 305 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS...POSSIBLY BRINGING HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TO THE COAST IN THE WARNED AREA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS...PUTTING GEORGES AT THE HIGH END OF CATEGORY TWO ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES NORTHEAST FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...MAINLY TO THE EAST. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 970 MB...28.64 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 10 TO 15 FEET...LOCALLY HIGHER...ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES. FLOODING RAINS ARE LIKELY IN ASSOCIATION WITH GEORGES AND WILL BECOME PARTICULARLY SEVERE IF GEORGES FORWARD MOTION DECREASES NEAR LANDFALL AS IS NOW FORECAST. SMALL CRAFT FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY TO HIGH ISLAND TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. SMALL CRAFT ALONG THE WEST COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. REPEATING THE 7 PM CDT POSITION...27.0 N... 86.5 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...110 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 970 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 PM CDT. LAWRENCE NNNN