000 WTNT31 KNHC 050453 TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 45A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1 AM EDT SUN SEP 05 2004 ...THE CENTER OF THE LARGE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES FINALLY MAKES LANDFALL NEAR SEWALL'S POINT FLORIDA... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR GRAND BAHAMA...ABACO...BIMIMI AND THE BERRY ISLANDS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO ALTAMAHA SOUND. 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 AROUND THE SOUTHERN END OF THE PENNISULA TO JUST SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY ON THE SOUTHEAST COAST...AND FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...AND FOR FLORIDA BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM WEST OF ST. MARKS TO PANAMA CITY. AT 1 AM EDT...0500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.2 WEST OR NEAR SEWALL'S POINT FLORIDA. THIS IS ALSO IN THE VICINITY OF STUART...JENSEN BEACH...AND PORT SALERNO FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE EYEWALL HAS ALREADY MOVED INLAND OVER PORTIONS OF PALM BEACH...MARTIN AND ST. LUCIE COUNTIES. A CONTINUED SLOW WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THE ENTIRE EYE OF THE HURRICANE INLAND BY SUNRISE SUNDAY. HOWEVER... RESIDENTS IN THE EYE OF FRANCES ARE URGED TO REMAIN INSIDE SAFE SHELTER SINCE THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EYE...ACCOMPANIED BY HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH...MAY TAKE UP TO 2-4 HOURS TO REACH SOME PORTIONS OF THE MARTIN AND ST. LUCIE COUNTY COASTLINE. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THERE IS STILL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EYE MOVES INLAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM. A SUSTAINED WIND OF 63 MPH WITH A GUST TO 78 MPH WAS RECENTLY REPORTED BY THE FLORIDA COASTAL MONITORING PROGRAM TOWER AT INDIAN HARBOR BEACH. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 960 MB...28.35 INCHES. A PRESSURE OF 963.1 MB WAS RECENTLY REPORTED BY THE FLORIDA COASTAL MONITORING PROGRAM TOWER AT PORT SALERNO. 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 EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST. 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. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD REACH 20 INCHES IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. 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 TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY. REPEATING THE 1 AM EDT POSITION...27.2 N... 80.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 960 MB. OR 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 3 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 AM EDT. FORECASTER STEWART $$