Hurricane FRANCES
ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 46B NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 9 AM EDT SUN SEP 05 2004 ...FRANCES CONTINUES ITS TREK OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA...A WIND GUST TO 124 MPH AT PORT CANAVERAL... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM NORTH OF DEERFIELD BEACH NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR GRAND BAHAMA...ABACO...BIMINI AND THE BERRY ISLANDS. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO FERNANDINA BEACH. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA ...ON THE WEST COAST...FROM ST. MARKS SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY... AND ON THE SOUTHEAST COAST FROM DEERFIELD BEACH SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY...AND FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY AND THE DRY TORTUGAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO ALTAMAHA SOUND. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM WEST OF ST. MARKS TO PANAMA CITY. AT 9 AM EDT...1300Z...THE LARGE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.9 WEST...ABOUT 35 MILES EAST OF SEBRING FLORIDA. LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 110 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF TAMPA FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 7 MPH. A CONTINUED WEST TO WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TRACK ACROSS THE PENINSULA IS EXPECTED TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 90 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS THE CORE OF FRANCES MOVES OVER LAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES. A WIND GUST OF 124 MPH WAS RECENTLY REPORTED AT PORT CANAVERAL IN BREVARD COUNTY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 975 MB...28.79 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN STILL BE POSSIBLE ON THE WEST AND SOUTH SIDES OF ISLANDS OF THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS STILL POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MADE LANDFALL ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST BUT SHOULD GRADUALLY BEGIN TO SUBSIDE. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE. ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF THE PATH OF FRANCES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTHEAST GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS... TO NEAR 20 INCHES...ARE EXPECTED OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTH FLORIDA TODAY. REPEATING THE 9 AM EDT POSITION...27.5 N... 80.9 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 7 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 975 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 11 AM EDT. FORECASTER AVILA $$ NNNN