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000 

WGUS72 KTBW 282056

FFSTBW

FLZ055>057-060>062-065-290300-



FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

500 PM 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



AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO WILL MOVE

NORTHEASTWARD ALONG A STATIONARY FRONT OVER THE PENINSULA LATE

TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. ABUNDANT MOISTURE...UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES

MOVING OVER THE AREA AND ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY WILL COMBINE TO

PRODUCE POTENTIALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY OVER

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.



SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE EASTERN

GULF OF MEXICO AND SOUTH FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY. THIS ACTIVITY IS

EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY.



RAINFALL DURING THE PAST 36 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 1 TO 3 INCHES

OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE WATCH AREA AND 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER THE

SOUTHERN AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM PORT CHARLOTTE TO SEBRING.



STREAMS LIKE 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. SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING MAY ALSO OCCUR FROM THE

PONDING OF EXCESSIVE RUNOFF...PARTICULARLY 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, CHECK THE NWS WEB SITE AT

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



RD

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