ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 48A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 AM CDT SUN SEP 27 1998 ...DANGEROUS HURRICANE GEORGES HEADING FOR THE CENTRAL GULF COAST AND NEW ORLEANS... 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...AND ADVICE FROM LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE CLOSELY FOLLOWED. 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 AM CDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.8 WEST. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPI RIVER AND ABOUT 190 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. RAINBANDS OF GEORGES ARE SPREADING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WARNING AREA AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO AFFECT THE AREA LATER TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GEORGES IS A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE AND COULD REACH CATEGORY THREE INTENSITY BEFORE LANDFALL. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE CENTER ...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES MAINLY TO THE EAST. THE AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTERS ESTIMATED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 962 MB...28.41 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... AND UP TO 17 FEET AT THE HEADS OF BAYS...IS POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES. FLOODING RAINS OF 15 TO 25 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS... ARE LIKELY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS SLOW-MOVING HURRICANE. 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 AM CDT POSITION...28.2 N... 87.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...110 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 962 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 AM CDT. GUINEY NNNN