000 WTNT32 KNHC 090251 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE PALOMA ADVISORY NUMBER 15 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172008 1000 PM EST SAT NOV 08 2008 ...MAJOR HURRICANE PALOMA SLOWS DOWN OVER EASTERN CUBA AS IT CONTINUES TO LASH THE REGION WITH HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING WINDS... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF CIEGO DE AVILA...CAMAGUEY...LAS TUNAS...GRANMA AND HOLGUIN. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS... INCLUDING CAT ISLAND...THE EXUMAS...LONG ISLAND...RUM CAY...SAN SALVADOR...ACKLINS ISLAND...CROOKED ISLAND AND THE RAGGED ISLANDS.A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1000 PM EST...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.7 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES... 60 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA AND ABOUT 75 MILES...120 KM...NORTH OF CABO CRUZ. PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 7 MPH...11 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION...ACCOMPANIED BY A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED... IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO BE APPROACHING THE ATLANTIC COAST OF EAST-CENTRAL CUBA LATE SUNDAY MORNING...AND BE NEARING THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SUNDAY NIGHT OR ON MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. PALOMA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. STEADY WEAKENING IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT DAY OR TWO...ESPECIALLY AS PALOMA MOVES ACROSS CUBA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM. UNOFFICIAL REPORTS FROM AMATEUR/HAM RADIO OPERATORS AROUND SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR AND IN CAMAGUEY PROVINCE CUBA INDICATE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 95 MPH...150 KM/HR WITH GUSTS TO 155 MPH...250 KM/HR...MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE AREA DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES... INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE COMMUNICATIONS TOWER HAVING BEEN BLOWN DOWN. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 968 MB...28.59 INCHES. DANGEROUS STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 13 TO 18 FEET...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR ALONG THE SOUTHEAST CARIBBEAN COAST OF CUBA. PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS MAY PRODUCE LIFE- THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES. FIVE TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. REPEATING THE 1000 PM EST POSITION...20.9 N...77.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 7 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...968 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 100 AM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 400 AM EST. $$ FORECASTER STEWART