000 WTNT31 KNHC 291141 TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE BETA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 10A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 8 AM EDT SAT OCT 29 2005 ...SLOW-MOVING HURRICANE BETA CONTINUES TO BATTER PROVIDENCIA ISLAND WITH DAMAGING WINDS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL... AND HIGH SURF... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLAND OF PROVIDENCIA. A HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN COAST OF NICARAGUA FROM BLUEFIELDS NORTHWARD TO CABO GRACIAS A DIOS NEAR THE NICARAGUA/HONDURAS BORDER...AND ADJACENT ISLANDS. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTEASTERN COAST OF HONDURAS FROM PUNTA PATUCA TO CABO GRACIAS A DIOS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF HONDURAS FROM LIMON EASTWARD TO WEST OF PUNTA PATUCA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF NICARAGUA SOUTH OF BLUEFIELDS TO THE BORDER WITH COSTA RICA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BETA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.8 NORTH... LONGITUDE 81.6 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES... 55 KM NORTH-NORTHWEST OF PROVIDENCIA ISLAND. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 130 MILES... 210 KM...SOUTHEAST OF CABO GRACIAS A DIOS AND ABOUT 120 MILES... 195 KM...EAST OF PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA. BETA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH... 6 KM/HR. A CONTINUED SLOW MOTION TO THE NORTHWEST OR WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HOWEVER... SINCE STEERING CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN WEAK... SOME ERRATIC MOTION WILL BE POSSIBLE... AND BETA COULD EVEN BECOME STATIONARY AT TIMES. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BETA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS... AND BETA COULD BECOME A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE BEFORE IT MAKES LANDFALL ALONG THE EAST COAST OF NICARAGUA. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES... 30 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES... 85 KM. REPORTS FROM THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF COLOMBIA CONTINUE TO INDICATE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED TO HOMES ON PROVIDENCIA... AND THERE ARE STILL NO COMMUNICATIONS WITH RESIDENTS ON THE ISLAND. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 984 MB...29.06 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS STILL POSSIBLE ON PROVIDENCIA WHILE THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BETA IS NEARBY. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 10 TO 13 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE EASTERN COAST OF NICARAGUA NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. HURRICANE BETA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WITH TOTALS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES ACROSS NORTHEASTERN HONDURAS...NICARAGUA ...SAN ANDRES...AND PROVIDENCIA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL TOTALS MAY EXCEED 25 INCHES ON PROVIDENCIA ISLAND. REPEATING THE 8 AM EDT POSITION...13.8 N... 81.6 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 80 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 984 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 AM EDT. FORECASTER BEVEN $$