ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES ADVISORY NUMBER 41 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 AM EDT FRI SEP 25 1998 ...GEORGES BATTERING THE FLORIDA KEYS... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA FROM FLORIDA CITY ON THE EAST COAST SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE FLORIDA KEYS...AND FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM LONGBOAT KEY SOUTHWARD. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM NORTH OF FLORIDA CITY TO STUART...AND FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM NORTH OF LONGBOAT KEY TO BAYPORT. AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED FOR THE GULF COAST FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO ST. MARKS FLORIDA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR CUBA FROM MATANZAS WESTWARD TO PINAR DEL RIO. AT 11 AM...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS DISCONTINUED THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.7 WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES...30 KM...SOUTH OF KEY WEST FLORIDA. THE EASTERN PART OF THE EYEWALL IS CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE LOWER AND MIDDLE FLORIDA KEYS. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL CONTINUE TO POSE A SERIOUS DANGER TO LIFE AND PROPERTY OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL MORE HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. AN UNOFFICIAL GUST TO 94 MPH AT KEY WEST WAS RECENTLY REPORTED BY AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM...MAINLY TO THE EAST. LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 981 MB...28.97 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF CUBA...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. SANTA CLARA CUBA HAS RECEIVED ABOUT 11 INCHES OF RAIN SO FAR. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA. WATER LEVELS 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE MIDDLE FLORIDA KEYS...NEAR MARATHON. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND CENTRAL FLORIDA. REPEATING THE 11 AM EDT POSITION...24.3 N... 81.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 981 MB. INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1 PM EDT AND 3 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT. RAPPAPORT STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN