Tornado Warning 35, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
828 PM EDT SAT SEP 4 2004

...TORNADO WATCH ISSUED FOR MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA...

.UPDATE...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT
LEE AND CHARLOTTE. HURRICANE FRANCES CONTINUES TO DRIFT VERY SLOWLY
TOWARD THE COAST. THE LARGE EYE APPEARS TO BE GETTING SMALLER...AND
THE CENTRAL PRESSURE HAS COME DOWN A BIT. AIRCRAFT RECON CONFIRM
THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE NOT YET INCREASED...AS REFLECTED
ON THE 8 PM ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.

RAIN BANDS CONTINUE TO DRIVE RAPIDLY SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA...AND THIS WILL CONTINUE...WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN BOTH
FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS AND MORE. SUSTAINED
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN PINELLAS
COUNTY...ALONG WITH REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE.

THIS HURRICANE IS LARGE AND SLOW MOVING. IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO
FOCUS ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE EYE...AS DAMAGING WINDS EXTEND WELL
OUT AWAY FROM THE CENTER. THE SLOW MOVEMENT IS STILL EXPECTED TO
LEAD TO VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH SIGNIFICANT FLOODING.

ZONES HAVE ALREADY BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT LATEST CONDITIONS AND THE
TORNADO WATCH

&&

.MARINE...CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE GRADUALLY AND
UNSAFE BOATING CONDITIONS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. SUSTAINED WINDS
OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN RAIN BANDS
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD STAY IN PORT.

&&

.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
 TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR MANATEE...SARASOTA...DESOTO...CHARLOTTE
  LEE...CITRUS...HERNANDO...HILLSBOROUGH...LEVY...PASCO...AND
  PINELLAS COUNTIES.
 TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR LEVY...CITRUS...
  HERNANDO...PASCO...SUMTER...PINELLAS...HILLSBOROUGH...POLK...
  MANATEE...SARASOTA...HARDEE...DESOTO...AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES.
 FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING ALL OF FORECAST AREA.
 INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING FOR SUMTER...POLK...HIGHLANDS...AND
  HARDEE COUNTIES THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.

&&

JILLSON

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
510 AM EDT SAT SEP 4 2004

FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-041208-
CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE-
LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER-
510 AM EDT SAT SEP 4 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

HURRICANE FRANCES IS SLOWLY APPROACHING FLORIDAS EAST COAST AND IS
FORECAST TO MOVE NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY
AND THEN EXIT OUT OF THE GULF LATE SUNDAY. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING
IS IN EFFECT FOR LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES WITH A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH IN EFFECT FROM ALONG THE COAST FROM SARASOTA COUNTY TO LEVY. A
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES. AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND
WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SUMTER...POLK...HIGHLANDS AND HARDEE
COUNTIES.

WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY...REACHING NEAR HURRICANE FORCE OVER THE
INTERIOR AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE NEAR THE COAST.

BANDS OF SHOWERS WILL BE PASSING ACROSS THE STATE TODAY WITH HEAVY
RAIN BEGINNING TO AFFECT SOUTHERN COUNTIES TODAY WITH RAINFALL OF UP
TO 8 INCHES EXPECTED...ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS.

RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT WIDESPREAD FLOODING. IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...
MINOR TO MODERATE PROPERTY DAMAGE IS POSSIBLE...AND SEVERAL MAIN
THOROUGHFARES MAY BE CLOSED. KNOWN INTERSECTIONS WITH POOR
DRAINAGE MAY HAVE WATER LEVELS UP TO SEVERAL FEET. SOME SMALL STREAMS
AND CREEKS WILL SURPASS BANK FULL. LARGER RIVERS WILL RISE.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR WINDS OR 20 KNOTS AND
HIGHER AND INCREASING TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE LATER IN THE DAY AND
CONTINUING SUNDAY.

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENTS WILL BE UPDATED ON A ROUTINE BASIS AS
HURRICANE FRANCES AFFECTS THE AREA AND WILL CONTAIN DETAILED AND UP
TO THE MINUTE INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY:

HURRICANE FRANCES IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWESTWARD
TONIGHT AND SUNDAY WITH HEAVY RAINFALL SPREADING INTO THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN ZONES WITH AMOUNTS IN THE 8 TO 12 INCH RANGE AND ISOLATED
AMOUNTS HIGHER.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

&&

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE)

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
917 PM EDT SAT SEP 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     TROPICAL STORM   VALRICO                 27.95N 82.26W
09/04/2004                   HILLSBOROUGH       FL   AMATEUR RADIO

            SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS BLOWN DOWN IN A SQUALL

0113 PM     TROPICAL STORM   SARASOTA                27.34N 82.55W
09/04/2004                   SARASOTA           FL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN IN SQUALL. TREE WAS IN ROAD.

1242 PM     TROPICAL STORM   VALRICO                 27.95N 82.26W
09/04/2004                   HILLSBOROUGH       FL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WIND GUST MEASURED AT 63 MPH

0749 PM     TROPICAL STORM   SAINT PETERSBURG        27.76N 82.67W
09/04/2004                   PINELLAS           FL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            3 - 25 FOOT TREES UPROOTED. LIGHT POLE BENT OVER.
            RAILROAD CROSSING SIGN BENT OVER ON 49TH ST BETWEEN 54TH
            AVE AND 62ND AVE NORTH.

&&

DS

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1054 PM EDT SAT SEP 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1008 PM     TORNADO          2 E KATHLEEN            28.12N 82.00W
09/04/2004                   POLK               FL   BROADCAST MEDIA

            PUBLIC REPORT OF A TORNADO FROM 2 E KATHLEEN TO 3 S
            KATHLEEN FROM 1008-1013 PM EDT. LOCATION AND TIME BASED
            ON RADAR. REPORT RELAYED BY BAY NEWS 9.

&&

NOAH