

000 

WGUS62 KTBW 281501

FFSTBW



BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

1053 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 STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS ACROSS THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA 

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

POTENTIALLY HEAVY RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY AS UPPER 

ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES AND AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRACK EAST 

ALONG THE FRONT.



SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE REDEVELOPED OVER THE EASTERN 

GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING AND ARE BEGINNING TO SLOWLY MOVE INTO 

COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND 

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON IN THE WATCH AREA AS THE 

ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT.



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 SLIGHTLY 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.



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

AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.



FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT

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

