ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE IRIS ADVISORY NUMBER 18 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 PM EDT MON OCT 08 2001 ...IRIS...A POWERFUL CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE...MAKES LANDFALL... PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CARIBBEAN COASTS OF BELIZE...GUATEMALA...AND HONDURAS FROM THE BORDER WITH GUATEMALA EASTWARD TO LIMON. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN FROM FELIPE CARRILLO PUERTO SOUTHWARD TO THE BORDER WITH BELIZE. AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...THE BELIZE RADAR SHOWED THAT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRIS WAS INLAND AND LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.4 NORTH... LONGITUDE 88.7 WEST OR ABOUT 80 MILES...130 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF BELIZE CITY BELIZE OR ABOUT 15 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF MONKEY RIVER BELIZE. IRIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 22 MPH ...35 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. HIGHER WINDS MAY OCCUR OVER ELEVATED TERRAIN AS IRIS MOVES INLAND. IRIS WILL WEAKEN RAPIDLY AS IT MOVES OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF BELIZE AND GUATEMALA. IRIS REMAINS A VERY SMALL HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES...30 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES...230 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 954 MB...28.17 INCHES. THE STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 13-18 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ALONG WITH DANGEROUS LARGE BATTERING WAVES...THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE CROSSED THE COAST WILL BEGIN SUBSIDING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE LIKELY ALONG THE PATH OF IRIS. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. REPEATING THE 11 PM EDT POSITION...16.4 N... 88.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 22 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 954 MB. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 2 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 AM EDT...TUESDAY. FORECASTER JARVINEN/RHOME NNNN