000 WTNT34 KNHC 241444 TCPAT4 BULLETIN HURRICANE RICHARD ADVISORY NUMBER 15 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL192010 1000 AM CDT SUN OCT 24 2010 ...RICHARD BECOMES A HURRICANE... SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION ----------------------------------------------- LOCATION...16.9N 86.9W ABOUT 95 MI...155 KM ESE OF BELIZE CITY MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH...140 KM/HR PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 290 DEGREES AT 12 MPH...19 KM/HR MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...991 MB...29.26 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... THE GOVERNMENT OF HONDURAS HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH FOR HONDURAS FROM EAST OF LIMON TO THE NICARAGUA/HONDURAS BORDER. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * BELIZE * HONDURAS FROM LIMON WESTWARD TO PUERTO CORTES AND THE BAY ISLANDS...INCLUDING ROATAN...UTILA...AND GUANAJA A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * EAST COAST OF YUCATAN MEXICO FROM PUNTA GRUESA TO CHETUMAL A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * EAST COAST OF YUCATAN MEXICO FROM PUNTA GRUESA TO CHETUMAL * HONDURAS FROM WEST OF PUERTO CORTES TO THE HONDURAS/GUATEMALA BORDER TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF GUATEMALA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. A WARNING IS TYPICALLY ISSUED BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS.....IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 18 HOURS....THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RICHARD WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.9 WEST. RICHARD IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER WILL REACH THE COAST OF BELIZE BY THIS EVENING...AND MOVE OVER LAND TONIGHT AND MONDAY. REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RICHARD IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED BEFORE RICHARD MOVES INLAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES...30 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM. THE ISLAND OF ROATAN HONDURAS REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 58 MPH...93 KM/HR. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTERS IS 991 MB...29.26 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- STORM SURGE...A STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF HONDURAS AND BELIZE...AND 1 TO 3 FEET IN THE BAY ISLANDS. NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES. RAINFALL...RICHARD IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER THE BAY ISLANDS...BELIZE...AND THE SOUTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA...WITH MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF AROUND 10 INCHES. ADDITIONAL RAINS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN HONDURAS. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES...ESPECIALLY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN ALONG THE COASTS OF BELIZE AND SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO BY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST OF BELIZE BY THIS EVENING. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...100 PM CDT. NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...400 PM CDT. $$ FORECASTER PASCH/ROBERTS