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000 

WGUS72 KTBW 280330

FFSTBW

FLZ055>057-060>062-065-281000-



FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

1126 PM EDT THU SEP 27 2001



...A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL

AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THROUGH SATURDAY...INCLUDING THE COUNTIES OF...

CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS...LEE...MANATEE...AND

SARASOTA.



A DIFFUSE NEAR STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PENINSULA WITH

AMPLE MOISTURE IN PLACE...WILL PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR POTENTIALLY

HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...ESPECIALLY AS UPPER

ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES AND A LOW PRESSURE AREA TRACK EAST ALONG

THE FRONT ACROSS THE SOUTH PENINSULA.



RAINS HAVE AGAIN TEMPORARILY ABATED THIS THURSDAY EVENING. BUT WITH

THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER DISTURBANCE...RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS

ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO OVERNIGHT

...PUSHING INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST PENINSULA LATE NIGHT

INTO FRIDAY.



RAINFALL DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS HAS AVERAGED ONE TO TWO INCHES

OVER LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES WITH ISOLATED HEAVIER AMOUNTS.

ELSEWHERE AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN LESS THAN AN INCH. HOWEVER ADDITIONAL

BOUTS OF RAINFALL MAY PUSH TOTALS UPWARD TO AS MUCH AS 3 TO 6 INCHES

WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS FAVORING SOUTHERN

AREAS FROM CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES SOUTHWARD.



STREAMS SUCH AS THE PEACE RIVER...HORSE CREEK...AND THE MYAKKA RIVER

REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. THEREFORE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL

WILL FURTHER AGGRAVATE RIVER AND ASSOCIATED SMALL STREAM FLOODING.

FLOODING MAY ALSO OCCUR WITH EXCESSIVE RUNOFF PARTICULARLY FOR AREAS

WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED FLOODING DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS WHEN THE

TROPICAL SYSTEM GABRIELLE IMPACTED THE AREA.



A FLOOD WATCH MEANS FLOODING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36

HOURS. PEOPLE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST

FORECASTS AND ADVISORIES CONCERNING THIS POSSIBLE HEAVY RAINFALL

EVENT AND TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY.



DMR

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