ZCZC MIATCPAT5 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM EARL ADVISORY NUMBER 5 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 4 PM CDT TUE SEP 01 1998 ...TROPICAL STORM EARL HEADING FOR THE LOUISIANA COAST... AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST FROM PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI TO CAMERON LOUISIANA AND A HURRICANE WATCH FROM EAST OF PASCAGOULA TO DESTIN FLORIDA AND WEST OF CAMERON TO HIGH ISLAND TEXAS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS AND A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS. AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...THE BROAD CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.3 WEST OR ABOUT 240 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA. EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 12 MPH. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF EARL SHOULD BE NEAR THE LOUISIANA COAST WITHIN THE WARNING AREA ON WEDNESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS ...MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND EARL IS EXPECTED TO BE A HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. LATEST MINIMUM PRESSURE REPORTED BY A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS 998 MB...29.47 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY ALONG THE PATH OF EARL. STORM SURGE FLODDING OF 7 TO 10 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST. REPEATING THE 4 PM CDT POSITION...27.0 N... 92.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 998 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 7 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 10 PM CDT. AVILA STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT5 AND WMO HEADER WTNT75 KNHC. NNNN