000 WTNT33 KNHC 032341 TCPAT3 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM LEE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 9A NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL132011 700 PM CDT SAT SEP 03 2011 ...LEE WEAKENS A LITTLE AS IT MEANDERS ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA... SUMMARY OF 700 PM CDT...0000 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...29.5N 92.4W ABOUT 50 MI...75 KM SW OF MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA ABOUT 55 MI...85 KM SSW OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH...85 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNW OR 330 DEGREES AT 4 MPH...6 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...988 MB...29.18 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * DESTIN FLORIDA WESTWARD TO SABINE PASS TEXAS...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS...LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN...AND LAKE MAUREPAS 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. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 700 PM CDT...0000 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LEE WAS LOCATED BY RADAR AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS VERY NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF LOUISIANA NEAR LATITUDE 29.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.4 WEST. LEE HAS BEEN DRIFTING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS...HOWEVER A SLOW NORTHWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO RESUME TONIGHT. A SLOW NORTHEASTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF LEE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ONSHORE THE LOUISIANA COAST LATER THIS EVENING...THEN MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS SOUTHERN LOUISIANA ON SUNDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. GRADUAL WEAKENING FORECAST TO OCCUR SUNDAY AND MONDAY. TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM FROM THE CENTER. SEVERAL ELEVATED OFFSHORE OIL RIGS SOUTH OF THE COAST OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA HAVE RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 44 AND 48 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND REPORTS FROM OFFSHORE OIL RIGS INDICATE THAT THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 988 MB...29.18 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- RAINFALL...TROPICAL STORM LEE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES FROM THE CENTRAL GULF COAST NORTHWARD INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES THROUGH SUNDAY. THESE RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE EXTENSIVE FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING. STORM SURGE...A STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE LOUISIANA COAST...AND BY AS MUCH AS 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA COASTS INCLUDING MOBILE BAY. SEE PRODUCTS ISSUED BY LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES FOR MORE DETAILS. WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF THE WARNING AREA TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY...AND POSSIBLY INTO MONDAY. TORNADOES...A FEW TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND THE FAR WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1000 PM CDT. $$ FORECASTER BROWN