

000 

WGUS72 KTBW 102058

FFSTBW

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-110300-



FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

500 PM EDT MON SEP 10 2001



...THE FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING

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.



A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO

COMBINED WITH DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE OVER THE FLORIDA

PENINSULA WILL GENERATE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS

ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.  MOST OF THE

ACTIVITY WILL OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER

AMOUNTS...THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING.  THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY

RAIN AND FLOODING WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.

THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN...WITH LOCALLY

HIGHER AMOUNTS...THROUGH THURSDAY.



HEAVY RAIN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS HAS ALREADY CAUSED MANY RIVERS

TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE.  THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL INCREASE

THE SEVERITY OF THE FLOODING. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG RIVERS AND

STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS CLOSELY AND BE READY TO TAKE

IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.



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

AND POSSIBLE FLOOD ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS.

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