Tropical Storm ODETTE
ZCZC MIATCPAT5 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM ODETTE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 7A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1 AM EST SAT DEC 06 2003 ...ODETTE STRENGTHENING SLIGHTLY AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD... ...HEAVY RAIN BANDS MOVING OVER HISPANIOLA AND PUERTO RICO... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM ISLA SAONA WESTWARD AND FOR HAITI. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. AT 1 AM EST...0600Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ODETTE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 72.5 WEST OR ABOUT 145 MILES...235 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE ISLA BEATA ON THE SOUTH COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. ODETTE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION COULD BRING THE CENTER OF ODETTE OVER HISPANIOLA ON SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS INDICATED BY RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT ARE NOW NEAR 60 MPH... 95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE ODETTE NEARS HISPANIOLA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES...230 KM FROM THE CENTER. THESE WINDS COULD REACH THE SOUTH COAST OF HISPANIOLA BY EARLY AFTERNOON. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 995 MB...29.38 INCHES. RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS IN THE MOUNTAINS...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THE PATH OF ODETTE. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES... PARTICULARLY IN THE MOUNTAINS OF HAITI. RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH ODETTE ARE ALREADY SPREADING ACROSS PORTIONS OF HISPANIOLA AND PUERTO RICO. REPEATING THE 1 AM EST POSITION...15.7 N... 72.5 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 995 MB. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 4 AM EST. FORECASTER STEWART NNNN