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FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

1045 PM EST FRI MAR 30 2001



...FLOOD WATCH SATURDAY FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST

FLORIDA...



IN WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...POLK...

MANATEE...SARASOTA...DESOTO...HARDEE...AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES.



IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...CHARLOTTE COUNTY.



SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER

SOUTH FLORIDA WILL LIFT NORTH TO THE TAMPA BAY AREA LATE TONIGHT AND

EARLY SATURDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE OVER THE

EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO SATURDAY MORNING AND TRAIN ACROSS WEST CENTRAL

FLORIDA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.



CURRENT TRENDS SUGGEST THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL OCCUR ACROSS

SOUTHERN PINELLAS...SOUTHERN HILLSBOROUGH...SARASOTA AND MANATEE

COUNTIES...WITH 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN POSSIBLE.  THE HIGHEST TOTALS

WILL LIKELY BE CENTERED IN THE SARASOTA BRADENTON AREA.



OTHER AREAS IN THE WATCH WILL SEE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES...

WITH LOCALLY 4 INCHES.



RECENT HEAVY RAINS FROM 5 TO 9 INCHES IN PARTS OF THE WATCH AREA OVER

THE PAST TWO DAYS HAVE CAUSED SIGNIFICANT RISES IN SMALL RIVERS AND

CREEKS...WITH MODERATE RISES ON MAIN STEM RIVERS. THE MANATEE

AND LITTLE MANATEE RIVERS ARE ALREADY UNDER A FLOOD WARNING. ANY

ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL CAUSE FURTHER RISES...AND ADDITIONAL RIVER FLOOD

WARNINGS MAY BECOME NECESSARY LATER SATURDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT.



RESIDENTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FROM TAMPA BAY

SOUTHWARD...PARTICULARLY THOSE IN LOW LYING OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS...AS

WELL AS THOSE LIVING NEAR SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS...SHOULD REMAIN

ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. IF

FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.



STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR

FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

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