Hurricane CLAUDETTE
ZCZC MIATCPAT4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE CLAUDETTE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 27A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 6 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2003 ...HURRICANE CLAUDETTE HEADING WEST...GETTING BETTER ORGANIZED... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE TEXAS COAST FROM BAFFIN BAY TO HIGH ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS. AT 6 AM CDT...1100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE CLAUDETTE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 95.3 WEST OR ABOUT 125 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS. CLAUDETTE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 12 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL LANDFALL LATER TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. CLAUDETTE CONTINUES TO GET BETTER ORGANIZED AS NOTED IN RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS STILL POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL OCCURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE ALREADY OCCURRING ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA COASTS FROM GALVESTON ISLAND NORTHEASTWARD TO NEAR CAMERON LOUISIANA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD SOUTHWARD ALONG THE CENTRAL TEXAS COAST LATER TODAY AS CLAUDETTE MOVES CLOSER TO LAND. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 981 MB...28.97 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST. A STORM SURGE OF 5 FT ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS HAS BEEN REPORTED AT GALVESTON PLEASURE PIER SO FAR THIS MORNING. IN ADDITION... LARGE SWELLS HAVE BEEN IMPACTING THE SHORELINES ELSEWHERE ALONG THE TEXAS COAST AND ARE CREATING ABOVE NORMAL TIDES AND DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF 5 TO 8 INCHES IS POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH CLAUDETTE. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE UPPER AND CENTRAL TEXAS COASTAL AREAS. REPEATING THE 6 AM CDT POSITION...28.2 N... 95.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 981 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 8 AM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 10 AM CDT. FORECASTER JARVINEN/STEWART NNNN