Hurricane DENNIS Public Advisory 3 PM EDT 07/09/05

000, WTNT34 KNHC 091854, TCPAT4, BULLETIN HURRICANE DENNIS INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 20B, NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL, 3 PM EDT SAT JUL 09 2005

...DENNIS CONTINUES TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED AS IT MOVES NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE WESTWARD TO THE DRY TORTUGAS. A HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST FROM THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER WESTWARD TO THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM EAST OF THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER SOUTHWARD...AND ALONG THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST FROM GOLDEN BEACH SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM SEVEN MILE BRIDGE EASTWARD. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA COAST WEST
OF THE MOUTH OF THE PEARL RIVER TO GRAND ISLE...INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

A HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...RESPECTIVELY...ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 3 PM EDT...1900Z...INFORMATION FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT... SATELLITE...AND COASTAL DOPPLER RADARS INDICATE THE CENTER OF THE EYE OF HURRICANE DENNIS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH... LONGITUDE 84.4 WEST. THIS IS ABOUT 295 MILES... SOUTH OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 425 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI.

DENNIS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DENNIS IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND DENNIS COULD BECOME A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE AGAIN BY SUNDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES... 55 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY MEASURED BY A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT OF THE AIR FORCE RESERVE WAS 962 MB...28.41 INCHES.

DENNIS IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA...THE FLORIDA KEYS...THE FLORIDA WEST COAST...THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE... SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. ADDITIONAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL CUBA...
WHICH COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES.

STORM SURGE WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE ALONG THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF FLORIDA TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STORM SURGE OF 8 TO 10 FEET IS POSSIBLE ALONG AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE CENTER OF DENNIS CROSSES THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST ON SUNDAY.

ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY...AND ACROSS THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.

REPEATING THE 3 PM EDT POSITION...25.5 N... 84.4 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...100 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 962 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 PM EDT.

FORECASTER STEWART $$ Source: National Hurricane Center more at Hurricane DENNIS or noaa