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000 

WGUS62 KTBW 110850

FFSTBW

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-111500-



BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

450 AM EDT TUE SEP 11 2001



...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR 

THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...





  CHARLOTTE.                        CITRUS.

  DESOTO.                           HARDEE.

  HERNANDO.                         HIGHLANDS.

  HILLSBOROUGH.                     LEVY.

  MANATEE.                          PASCO.

  PINELLAS.                         POLK.

  SARASOTA.                         LEE.

  SUMTER.



INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZEPHYRHILLS...WINTER 

HAVEN...VENICE...TAMPA...SPRING HILL...SEBRING...SARASOTA...PUNTA 

GORDA...PORT CHARLOTTE...NEW PORT 

RICHEY...LAKELAND...INVERNESS...CLEARWATER...CHIEFLAND...BROOKSVILLE.

..BRANDON...BRADENTON...BARTOW AND ARCADIA.



AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GULF WATERS SOUTHWEST OF THE FORT 

MYERS AREA EARLY THIS MORNING WILL DRIFT SOUTHWEST TODAY...THEN 

BEGIN TO MOVE BACK TO THE NORTH ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THIS LOW 

ALONG WITH ABUNDANT TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR HEAVY 

RAINFALL HIGH ACROSS ALL OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY 

THROUGH THURSDAY.



SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LESS WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE MONDAY 

AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RAINFALL AVERAGED LESS THAN ONE HALF INCH IN 

THE TAMPA BAY REGION...AND ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OVER SOUTHWEST 

FLORIDA.  THE ONLY EXCEPTION WAS IN SOUTHERN SARASOTA COUNTY...WHERE 

RADAR ESTIMATES AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATED 4 TO 6 INCHES 

FELL NEAR LAUREL AND NOKOMIS.



MINOR STREET FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN SOUTHERN SARASOTA COUNTY EARLY 

MONDAY AFTERNOON. DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS ON MONDAY HARDEE 

COUNTY REPORTED A DOZEN ROADS UNDER WATER AND A HALF DOZEN MORE 

CLOSED...PRIMARILY OVER THE EASTERN HALF...DUE TO A COMBINATION OF 

SMALL STREAM AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. 



SKIES HAVE REMAIN PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY EARLY THIS MORNING ...WITH 

LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL RAIN NOTED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL OR SOUTHWEST 

FLORIDA. HOWEVER AS THE DAY CONTINUES ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND 

THUNDERSTORM WILL DEVELOP. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE BEST CHANCES FOR

ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WILL BE OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WITH LIGHTER

AMOUNTS EXPECTED AS ONE MOVES NORTH.



THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING MAY 

INCREASE ACROSS THE ENTRIRE FORECAST AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY 

AS THE LOW IN THE GULF MOVES SLOWLY NORTH...WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL 

AMOUNTS UP 3 TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE BEFORE CONDITIONS BEGIN TO IMPROVE 

TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK.



SEVERAL RIVERS EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF TAMPA BAY REMAIN ABOVE FLOOD 

STAGE. ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL COULD INCREASE THE SEVERITY OF THE 

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

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

BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED.



REMEMBER A FLOOD WATCH MEANS FLOODING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 

TO 36 HOURS. RESIDENTS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD TAKE 

ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY.



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

AND POSSIBLE FLOOD ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY.



$$

MCMICHAEL

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