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    Tuesday, September 14, 2004
      ABC 33/40 E-WARN: SPSBHM
    From ABC 33/40 E-Warn:
    WWUS84 KBMX 150339
    SPSBHM

    SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
    1038 PM CDT TUE SEP 14 2004

    ALZ011>015-017>050-151100-
    AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-
    CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-
    JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
    PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA-
    TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON-
    1038 PM CDT TUE SEP 14 2004


    ...SPECIAL HURRICANE IVAN STATEMENT FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA...


    ...AREAS AFFECTED...

    THIS STATEMENT IS FOR ALL COUNTIES IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SERVED BY THE
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.


    ...WATCHES/WARNINGS...

    A HIGH WIND WATCH...AND A FLOOD WATCH...HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF
    CENTRAL ALABAMA. THESE WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT
    THROUGH FRIDAY FOR THE COUNTIES OF SUMTER...GREENE...HALE...
    MARENGO...PERRY...DALLAS...AUTAUGA...LOWNDES...MONTGOMERY...AND
    PIKE. THE WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FOR
    THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.


    ...STORM INFORMATION...

    TUESDAY EVENING...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IVAN WAS LOCATED IN THE
    CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO...ABOUT 500 MILES SOUTH OF MONTGOMERY...AND
    600 MILES SOUTH OF BIRMINGHAM. IVAN IS MOVING GENERALLY NORTH
    NORTHWEST...AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO
    THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY. IVAN REMAINS A DANGEROUS HURRICANE...AND THE
    EYE OF HURRICANE IVAN IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE EASTERN
    MISSISSIPPI AND WESTERN ALABAMA GULF COAST EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.


    ...WIND IMPACTS...

    BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST FROM THE TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER...
    WINDS 40 MPH OR MORE COULD START TO AFFECT AREAS AROUND DEMOPOLIS...
    SELMA...MONTGOMERY...AND TROY AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY EVENING. THESE
    WINDS WILL INCREASE AND SPREAD NORTHWESTWARD WEDNESDAY NIGHT...
    THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY...AND INTO FRIDAY.

    ALTHOUGH THE PEAK WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH IVAN WILL START TO DIMINISH
    AFTER THE STORM MAKES LANDFALL...BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST...IT
    IS POSSIBLE THAT HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS...AT LEAST 74 MPH...COULD
    BE FELT AS FAR NORTH BIRMINGHAM ON THURSDAY. AND TROPICAL STORM
    FORCE WINDS...BETWEEN 39 AND 73 MPH...COULD BE FELT ACROSS THE
    REMAINDER OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.

    THE FOLLOWING TABLES DETAIL THE POTENTIAL DURATION TIMES OF HURRICANE
    AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...BASED ON THE LATEST TROPICAL
    PREDICTION CENTER FORECAST. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE TIMES AND
    WIND SPEEDS ARE HIGHLY DEPENDANT ON THE EXACT TRACK OF HURRICANE
    IVAN...AND WILL NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AS THE TRACK IS FURTHER PINNED
    DOWN. ALSO REMEMBER THAT OTHER FACTORS...SUCH AS TERRAIN...PLAY A
    BIG PART IN DETERMINING WHAT WIND SPEEDS SPECIFIC AREAS WILL
    EXPERIENCE.


    POTENTIAL DURATION OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS (75 MPH +)

    COUNTY FROM UNTIL PEAK WIND
    ======== ============== ============== =========
    BIBB LATE THUR PM EARLY FRI AM 75-80 MPH
    CHILTON LATE THUR PM EARLY FRI AM 70-75 MPH
    DALLAS EARLY THUR PM THURS EVE 85 MPH
    GREENE THURSDAY PM LATE THUR EVE 80-85 MPH
    HALE THURSDAY PM LATE THUR EVE 85 MPH
    MARENGO LATE THUR AM LATE THUR EVE 85-95 MPH
    PERRY EARLY THUR PM LATE THUR EVE 80-90 MPH
    SUMTER EARLY THUR PM LATE THUR EVE 80-85 MPH
    TUSCALOOSA THURSDAY EVE LATE THUR NIGHT 70-75 MPH


    POTENTIAL DURATION OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS (39-73 MPH):

    COUNTY FROM UNTIL PEAK WIND
    ======== ============== ============== =========
    AUTAUGA LATE WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 65-70 MPH
    BARBOUR LATE WED EVE LATE THUR NIGHT 55-60 MPH
    BIBB EARLY WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 75-80 MPH
    BLOUNT THURSDAY AM FRIDAY PM 55-60 MPH
    BULLOCK LATE WED NIGHT EARLY FRI AM 55-60 MPH
    CALHOUN THURSDAY PM FRIDAY PM 55-60 MPH
    CHAMBERS EARLY THUR AM FRIDAY AM 45-50 MPH
    CHEROKEE THURSDAY EVE FRIDAY PM 50-55 MPH
    CHILTON LATE WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 70-75 MPH
    CLAY THURSDAY AM EARLY FRI PM 55-60 MPH
    CLEBURNE THURSDAY PM FRIDAY PM 55-60 MPH
    COOSA EARLY THUR AM FRIDAY AM 65-70 MPH
    DALLAS WEDNESDAY EVE FRIDAY AM 85 MPH
    ELMORE LATE WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 60-65 MPH
    ETOWAH THURSDAY PM FRIDAY PM 55-60 MPH
    FAYETTE THURSDAY AM FRIDAY AM 60-65 MPH
    GREENE LATE WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 80-85 MPH
    HALE LATE WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 85 MPH
    JEFFERSON EARLY THUR AM FRIDAY PM 70-75 MPH
    LAMAR THURSDAY AM LATE THUR NIGHT 55-60 MPH
    LEE THURSDAY AM LATE THUR NIGHT 45-50 MPH
    LOWNDES WEDNESDAY EVE EARLY FRI AM 70-75 MPH
    MACON LATE WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 50-55 MPH
    MARENGO EARLY WED EVE FRIDAY AM 85-95 MPH
    MARION THURSDAY AM FRIDAY AM 50-55 MPH
    MONTGOMERY LATE WED EVE FRIDAY AM 60-65 MPH
    PERRY WEDNESDAY EVE FRIDAY AM 80-90 MPH
    PICKENS LATE WED NIGHT LATE FRI NIGHT 65-70 MPH
    PIKE WEDNESDAY EVE EARLY FRI AM 55-60 MPH
    RANDOLPH THURSDAY AM FRIDAY AM 45-50 MPH
    RUSSELL EARLY THUR AM LATE THUR NIGHT 45-50 MPH
    SHELBY EARLY THUR AM EARLY FRIDAY PM 70-75 MPH
    ST CLAIR THURSDAY AM FRIDAY PM 60-65 MPH
    SUMTER WEDNESDAY EVE EARLY FRI AM 80-85 MPH
    TALLADEGA EARLY THUR AM FRIDAY PM 65-70 MPH
    TALLAPOOSA EARLY THUR AM FRIDAY PM 55-60 MPH
    TUSCALOOSA LATE WED NIGHT FRIDAY AM 70-75 MPH
    WALKER THURSDAY AM FRIDAY AM 65-70 MPH
    WINSTON THURSDAY AM FRIDAY AM 55-60 MPH


    ...RAINFALL IMPACTS...

    AT THIS TIME...IVAN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE 6 TO 12 INCHES OF
    RAIN ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE AREA OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL
    ASSOCIATED WITH LANDFALLING GULF COAST HURRICANES IS TYPICALLY ALONG
    AND TO THE EAST OF THE PATH.


    ...ADDITIONAL PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION...

    THE RED CROSS HAS OPENED NUMEROUS SHELTERS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA.
    PLEASE CHECK WITH LOCAL EMA OR RED CROSS OFFICIALS FOR SPECIFIC
    LOCATIONS OF THESE SHELTERS.

    STATE OFFICIALS HAVE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT THE SOUTHBOUND LANES OF
    INTERSTATE 65...BETWEEN MOBILE AND MONTGOMERY...WILL BE REVERSED
    BEGINNING 7 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. AT THAT TIME...ALL LANES BETWEEN
    THOSE CITIES WILL BE NORTHBOUND ONLY. THE ALTERNATE ROUTE FOR
    SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC WILL BE U.S. HIGHWAY 31.


    ...CALLS TO ACTION...

    ALTHOUGH THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH THE EXACT PATH...
    INTENSITY...AND TIMING OF HURRICANE IVAN...THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT
    THE STORM SHOULD BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. EVERYONE IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
    SHOULD CONTINUE MONITORING THE PROGRESS OF HURRICANE IVAN AND ITS
    POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON CENTRAL ALABAMA.

    HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION...AND MAKE PREPARATIONS NOW...SO THAT YOU CAN
    ACT ACCORDINGLY WHEN THE NEED ARISES. WITH THE COMBINED THREAT OF
    HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN... THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF
    WIDESPREAD...AND PERHAPS LONG TERM POWER OUTAGES. THESE OUTAGES
    COULD AFFECT THE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD...FUEL...AND ALL THE ESSENTIALS
    OF DAY TO DAY LIFE.

    PREPARATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED THE FOLLOWING. KEEP
    GAS TANKS FULL...AND VEHICLES IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION. ENSURE YOU
    HAVE ENOUGH WATER...AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS FOR SEVERAL DAYS...
    AS WELL AS A MECHANICAL CAN OPENER. CHECK MEDICATION AND MEDICAL
    SUPPLIES. CHECK ON AND ASSIST THE ELDERLY AND THE MEDICALLY OR
    PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED IN COMPLETING THEIR PREPARATIONS. FINALLY...
    TAKE STEPS TO CARE FOR PETS AND LIVESTOCK.

    STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND UPDATES CONCERNING DANGEROUS HURRICANE
    IVAN.

    ...NEXT UPDATE...

    THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY 6 AM CDT WEDNESDAY MORNING.

    $$


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