000 WTNT31 KNHC 092354 TCPAT1 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM IDA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 24A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL112009 600 PM CST MON NOV 09 2009 ...IDA CONTINUES NORTHWARD...SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL OVERNIGHT... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE AUCILLA RIVER FLORIDA...INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE. AT 600 PM CST...0000 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM IDA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.5 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES...60 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ABOUT 125 MILES...200 KM...SOUTH OF MOBILE ALABAMA. IDA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 17 MPH...28 KM/HR. A REDUCTION IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK... THE CENTER OF IDA SHOULD REACH THE NORTHERN GULF COAST TONIGHT. AFTER LANDFALL...IDA IS EXPECTED TO TURN EASTWARD ON TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED THIS EVENING AS IDA MOVES OVER COOLER WATERS PRIOR TO MAKING LANDFALL...AND IS EXPECTED TO MERGE WITH A FRONTAL ZONE ON WEDNESDAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM FROM THE CENTER. WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS AN OBSERVING SITE NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT AN ELEVATION OF 79 FEET MEASURED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 60 MPH WITH A GUST TO 74 MPH. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 993 MB...29.32 INCHES. RAINS FROM IDA ARE ALREADY MOVING ACROSS THE COAST WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. TOTAL STORM ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTALS OF 8 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING FROM THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF COAST ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES INTO THE SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC STATES. A DANGEROUS STORM TIDE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE COAST NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL...AS WELL AS IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW IN SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA. NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES. ...SUMMARY OF 600 PM CST INFORMATION... LOCATION...28.9N 88.5W MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...70 MPH PRESENT MOVEMENT...NORTH OR 360 DEGREES AT 17 MPH MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...993 MB THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 900 PM CST. $$ FORECASTER BROWN/BERG