ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM GEORGES ADVISORY NUMBER 54 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 4 PM CDT MON SEP 28 1998 ...GEORGES MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWARD AND WEAKENING... AT 4 PM CDT...2100 UTC...THE HURRICANE WARNING FROM GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA TO DESTIN FLORIDA IS CHANGED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING...AND THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING WEST OF GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA IS DISCONTINUED. IN SUMMARY...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO DESTIN FLORIDA...INCLUDING THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA. INTERESTS EAST OF DESTIN AND WEST OF GRAND ISLE SHOULD MAINTAIN PRECAUTIONS UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 4 PM CDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.9 WEST OR ABOUT 25 MILES TO THE NORTH OF BILOXI MISSISSIPPI. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 3 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT...MOVING THE CENTER FARTHER INLAND. DO NOT FOCUS ON THE PRECISE LOCATION AND TRACK OF THE CENTER. THE STORMS DESTRUCTIVE WINDS...RAIN...AND STORM SURGE COVER A WIDE SWATH.. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH...AND CONTINUED WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 975 MB...28.79 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING AND WAVES WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE OVER THE WARNING AREA TODAY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS OF 15 TO 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS SLOW-MOVING STORM. RADAR- AND GROUND- BASED OBSERVATIONS INDICATE TOTALS OF 23 TO 25 INCHES SO FAR OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THERE IS THE THREAT OF A FEW TORNADOES OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. PASCH REPEATING THE 4 PM CDT POSITION...30.8 N... 88.9 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 3 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 70 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 975 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. PASCH STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN