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000 

WGUS72 KTBW 081618

FFSTBW

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-082230-



FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

1218 PM EDT SAT SEP 8 2001



...THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR  THE

FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...





  CHARLOTTE.                       CITRUS.

  DESOTO.                          HARDEE.

  HERNANDO.                        HIGHLANDS.

  HILLSBOROUGH.                    LEE.

  LEVY.                            MANATEE.

  PASCO.                           PINELLAS.

  POLK.                            SARASOTA.

  SUMTER.





INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZEPHYRHILLS...WINTER HAVEN...VENICE...

TAMPA...SPRING HILL...SEBRING...SARASOTA...PUNTA GORDA...PORT

CHARLOTTE...NEW PORT RICHEY...LAKELAND...INVERNESS...FORT MYERS...

CLEARWATER...CHIEFLAND...CAPE CORAL...BROOKSVILLE...BRANDON...

BRADENTON...BARTOW AND ARCADIA.



LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL FELL ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF INTERIOR WEST

CENTRAL FLORIDA FRIDAY EVENING.  MUCH OF POLK COUNTY...GENERALLY

EAST OF A LAKELAND TO BARTOW LINE...RECEIVED BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES

OF RAIN.  OTHER HEAVY RAIN AREAS INCLUDED NORTHERN HARDEE AND

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS COUNTY.



SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO MOVE ONSHORE THIS

MORNING ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WITH AREAS RECEIVING UP TO 3

INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE LAST HOUR.  THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME

NUMEROUS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.



AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA WILL MOVE LITTLE

THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL ENHANCE AFTERNOON SHOWERS

AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. IN ADDITION LIGHT STEERING FLOW

WILL TRANSLATE INTO SLOW MOVING STORMS...MEANING SEVERAL AREAS WILL

SEE FLOODING RAINFALL. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE

AFTERNOON HOURS EXCEPT ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST WHICH COULD SEE

MORNING SHOWERS ALSO. LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 5 TO 6

INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BOTH TODAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOONS. HEAVY

RAINFALL WILL HELP SATURATE THE GROUND AND RAISE THE WATER LEVELS IN

LAKES...RIVERS... AND SMALL STREAMS.



RESIDENTS...PARTICULARLY THOSE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS...AS WELL AS

THOSE LIVING NEAR SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS...SHOULD CONTINUE TO

MONITOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS WEEKEND...AND BE PREPARED

TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.



STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES

AND POSSIBLE FLOOD ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS.



$$



FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT

HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW

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