11 p.m. update on Gustav and Hanna (video)

NEWS RELEASES

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

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Tropical Storm Gustav

GUSTAV WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM.

AT 10 PM CDT, ALL COASTAL WARNINGS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS, PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1000 PM CDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 31.1 NORTH - LONGITUDE 92.7 WEST - OR ABOUT 20 MILES (30 KM) SOUTHWEST OF ALEXANDRIA LOUISIANA. GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH (20 KM/HR) AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF GUSTAV ACROSS WESTERN LOUISIANA TONIGHT, AND INTO NORTHEASTERN TEXAS ON TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH (95 KM/HR) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

CONTINUED WEAKENING IS FORECAST AND GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON TUESDAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES (185 KM) FROM THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 978 MB (28.88 INCHES). STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE TONIGHT. GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA, SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, SOUTHERN MISSOURI, SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEASTERN TEXAS, WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY. A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND THE CENTRAL GULF COAST TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY. ************************* Hurricane Hanna

HANNA MEANDERING.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS, THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. INTERESTS IN EASTERN CUBA, THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF HANNA. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS, PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1100 PM AST, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE HANNA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.8 NORTH - LONGITUDE 72.5 WEST - OR ABOUT 90 MILES (150 KM) WEST-NORTHWEST OF GRAND TURK ISLAND AND ABOUT 380 MILES (615 KM) SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU. HANNA HAS MOVED LITTLE OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS, AND LITTLE OVERALL MOTION IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO.

A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION TOWARD THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY LATE TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH (130 KM/HR) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

HANNA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.

LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES (110 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES (280 KM). ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 978 MB (28.88 INCHES). HANNA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES, WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES, OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES, WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 12 INCHES, ARE EXPECTED IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF EASTERN CUBA AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF HISPANIOLA, WHERE THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING MUDSLIDES AND FLASH FLOODING. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS, ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES, CAN BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. SWELLS FROM HANNA ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES COAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. *************************