

000 

WGUS72 KTBW 280901

FFSTBW

FLZ055>057-060>062-065-281500-



BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

500 AM EDT FRI SEP 28 2001



...THE FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY FOR THE 

FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA:





  CHARLOTTE                        DESOTO

  HARDEE                           HIGHLANDS

  LEE                              MANATEE

  SARASOTA





INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VENICE...SEBRING...SARASOTA...PUNTA

GORDA...PORT CHARLOTTE...FORT MYERS...CAPE CORAL...BRADENTON AND

ARCADIA.



A DIFFUSE STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA 

COMBINED WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE...WILL PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR 

POTENTIALLY HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS UPPER 

ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES AND AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRACK EAST 

ALONG THE FRONT.



RAINS HAVE TEMPORARILY ENDED AT THIS TIME...BUT WITH THE APPROACH OF 

ANOTHER DISTURBANCE...RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO 

REDEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING AND BEGIN 

PUSHING INTO WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BY THIS AFTERNOON.



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 

RAINFALL MAY PUSH TOTALS UPWARD TO AS MUCH AS 3 TO 6 INCHES WITHIN 

THE WATCH AREA...WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS FAVORING AREAS SOUTH AND 

EAST OF A LINE FROM PORT CHARLOTTE TO SEBRING.



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

REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. THEREFORE...ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY 

RAINFALL WILL FURTHER AGGRAVATE RIVER AND ASSOCIATED SMALL STREAM 

FLOODING. THERE MAY ALSO BE POOLING OF EXCESSIVE RUNOFF IN AREAS 

WHICH HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED RECENT FLOODING DUE TO TROPICAL STORM 

GABRIELLE.



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.



$$



FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT 

HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (IN LOWER CASE)



PRC

