A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Central Florida area, which includes the theme park areas. The full advisory from the National Weather Service is below.
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM ISAAC LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
624 AM EDT SUN AUG 26 2012
...GUSTY SQUALLS FROM TROPICAL STORM ISAAC ARE BEGINNING TO IMPACT
SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...
.NEW INFORMATION...
THERE REMAIN NO CHANGES TO WATCHES AND WARNINGS. TROPICAL STORM
ISAAC CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWEST TOWARD THE FLORIDA KEYS AND
GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST TODAY. TROPICAL STORM WIND GUSTS
IN SQUALLS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO AFFECT THE TREASURE COAST
EARLY THIS MORNING...AND WILL SLOWLY SPREAD NORTHWARD AND INLAND
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
.AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS LOCAL STATEMENT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND MARINE INTERESTS ACROSS EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT ATLANTIC WATERS.
.WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
INDIAN RIVER...OKEECHOBEE...ST. LUCIE AND MARTIN.
FOR MARINE INTERESTS...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE
ATLANTIC WATERS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET SOUTH. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH
CONTINUES NORTH OF SEBASTIAN INLET TO FLAGLER BEACH.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
INLAND VOLUSIA...NORTHERN LAKE...ORANGE...SEMINOLE...SOUTHERN
BREVARD...OSCEOLA...COASTAL VOLUSIA...SOUTHERN LAKE AND NORTHERN
BREVARD.
.STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 23.1N...LONGITUDE 79.0W. THIS WAS ABOUT 380 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL...AND ABOUT 320 MILES SOUTH-
SOUTHEAST OF FORT PIERCE. ISAAC WAS MOVING NORTHWEST AT 18 MPH.
ISAAC HAD BECOME A LITTLE STRONGER WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
OF 65 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
.SITUATION OVERVIEW...
THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK FOR ISAAC OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS
REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH A STEADY NORTHWEST MOVEMENT THROUGH THE
FLORIDA STRAITS...LOWER FLORIDA KEYS LATE TODAY...AND INTO THE
EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. CONFIDENCE HAS BECOME
HIGHER THAT THE CORE OF ISAAC'S STRONGEST WINDS WILL STAY WELL TO
THE SOUTHWEST OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA...HOWEVER ISAAC HAS A LARGE
WIND CIRCULATION AND SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ARE STILL FORECAST FOR
MUCH OF THE REGION.
THE STRONGEST SUSTAINED WINDS ARE LIKELY TO BE ACROSS OKEECHOBEE
COUNTY WHICH WILL BE CLOSER TO THE STORM CENTER...AND ALONG THE
IMMEDIATE COAST OF MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE AND INDIAN RIVER COUNTIES
WHERE SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED. THE
POSSIBILITY OF MINOR WIND DAMAGE EXISTS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA.
AS THE CENTER OF ISAAC APPROACHES THE LOWER KEYS LATER TODAY AND
ITS LARGE OUTER CIRCULATION SPREADS NORTH AND WESTWARD...FREQUENT
GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL SPREAD NORTH ACROSS THE WARNING
AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT AND INTO EARLY
MONDAY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN SQUALLS...WHICH WILL INCREASE
IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AREAWIDE...BUT WILL BE STRONGEST AND
MORE NUMEROUS ACROSS MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...OKEECHOBEE...AND
INDIAN RIVER COUNTIES.
DUE TO THE TRACK OF ISAAC WEST OF THE AREA...A FAVORABLE WIND SHEAR
PROFILE...TYPICAL IN THE NORTHEAST SECTION OF TROPICAL CYCLONES...
WILL EXIST AND SPREAD NORTHWARD LATER TODAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE
WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT AND PROLONGED THREAT FOR TORNADOES. THE
THREAT WILL BEGIN BY LATE THIS MORNING OVER MARTIN AND OKEECHOBEE
COUNTIES AND SPREAD NORTH DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
EVENTUALLY ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRETY OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA BY
TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. THIS THREAT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ISAAC PULLS
NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF THE AREA LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY
TUESDAY.
SQUALLS WRAPPING AROUND THE NORTH AND EAST SIDES OF ISAAC WILL
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ROTATE AND...IN SOME CASES...MAY PRODUCE
ISOLATED LONG TRACK AND DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES. TORNADO WATCHES
MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA BEGINNING TODAY...
AND COULD VERY WELL CONTINUE INTO MONDAY FOR MOST IF NOT ALL OF
EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA.
THE MAIN PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ACROSS WILL BEGIN THIS
AFTERNOON OVER THE TREASURE COAST AND OKEECHOBEE COUNTY...THEN
SPREAD NORTHWARD TO THE REMAINDER OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THIS
EVENING...TONIGHT AND INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING. AN INCREASING
INTENSITY OF SQUALL BANDS WILL BRING STRONG TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH OR HIGHER...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
CAUSING LOCALIZED FLOODING.
ALONG THE COAST...ROUGH SURF...BEACH EROSION AND RIP CURRENTS ARE
EXPECTED.
.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FOR THOSE UNDER A WARNING...PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND
PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION THIS MORNING...BEFORE
THE WEATHER STARTS TO DETERIORATE. EVACUATE IF DIRECTED TO DO SO
BY LOCAL OFFICIALS...OR IF YOUR HOME IS VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS
OR FLOODING.
FOR INTERESTS AT PORTS...DOCKS...AND MARINAS...URGENTLY COMPLETE
PRESCRIBED PREPARATIONS ACCORDING TO YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
PLAN FOR TROPICAL CYCLONES. IF YOU LIVE ON A BOAT...MAKE FINAL
PREPARATIONS FOR SECURING YOUR CRAFT BEFORE LEAVING IT. BE SURE
TO ACCOUNT FOR THE POSSIBLE CLOSURE OF BRIDGES AND CAUSEWAYS.
REGARDING ANY COASTAL WATERS UNDER A WARNING...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
REMAIN IN PORT AND WELL SECURED.
FOR THOSE UNDER A WATCH...CONTINUE WITH YOUR PREPARATIONS AND
LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
REGARDING ANY COASTAL WATERS UNDER A WATCH...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD
RETURN TO PORT OR SEEK SAFE HARBOR. DETERMINE THE BEST STRATEGY
FOR SECURING YOUR CRAFT.
CLOSELY MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS
FOR OFFICIAL STORM INFORMATION. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES TO
THE FORECAST.
FOR ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONARY AND PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION...
PLEASE REFER TO THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO YOUR
LOCATION BY YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICES.
&&
.NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN MELBOURNE AROUND 12 NOON...OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS
WARRANT.
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