000 WTNT32 KNHC 011654 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE GUSTAV INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 32A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008 1200 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008 ...CENTER OF GUSTAV APPROACHING MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM JUST EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS EASTWARD TO THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER TO THE FLORIDA-ALABAMA BORDER. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1200 PM CDT...1700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.1 WEST OR ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT ABOUT 65 MILES...105 KM...SOUTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 65 MILES...105 KM...NEW ORLEANS OF LOUISIANA. GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...24 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A DECREASE IN THE FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF GUSTAV WILL TRACK ALONG THE SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST THIS AFTERNOON...THEN MOVE INTO WESTERN LOUISIANA TONIGHT AND EASTERN TEXAS ON TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 105 MPH... 170 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS THE CENTER OF GUSTAV MOVES INLAND OVER LOUISIANA. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM. THE NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE AUTOMATED STATION AT AMERADA PASS LOUISIANA RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 76 MPH... 122 KM/HR. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 957 MB...28.26 INCHES. AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF GUSTAV CROSSES THE COAST. GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MISSISSIPPI...ARKANSAS AND NORTHEASTERN TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY. A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST TODAY. REPEATING THE 1200 PM CDT POSITION...29.6 N...91.1 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...957 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 400 PM CDT. $$ FORECASTER BEVEN