5 p.m. updates on Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna (video)

NEWS RELEASE

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

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Hurricane Gustav

AT 4 PM CDT, THE HURRICANE WARNING IS CHANGED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM CAMERON LOUISIANA WESTWARD.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM JUST EAST OF CAMERON LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER, INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM CAMERON WESTWARD TO JUST EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS, AND FROM THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER TO THE FLORIDA-ALABAMA BORDER. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS, PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 400 PM CDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.4 NORTH - LONGITUDE 92.0 WEST - OR NEAR OPELOUSAS LOUISIANA.

THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 15 MILES (20 KM) NORTH OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH (26 KM/HR) AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF GUSTAV ACROSS SOUTHERN AND WESTERN LOUISIANA TONIGHT, AND INTO EASTERN TEXAS BY TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH (130 KM/HR) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

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

WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS, WITH GUSTAV FORECAST TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM TONIGHT OR EARLY TUESDAY AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATE TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES (55 KM) FROM THE CENTER, AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES (325 KM).

BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 82 MPH (131 KM/HR). ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 966 MB (28.53 INCHES). STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 10 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ON THE COASTS OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI WILL BE SLOW TO SUBSIDE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. ABOVE NORMAL TIDES ELSEWHERE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. 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. ************************* Hurricane Hanna

HANNA CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN AS IT MEANDERS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS, THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

INTERESTS IN EASTERN CUBA, THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS, PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 500 PM AST, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE HANNA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.2 NORTH - LONGITUDE 72.6 WEST - OR JUST EAST OF MAYAGUANA ISLAND IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. HANNA HAS BEEN MEANDERING DURING THE LAST SEVERAL HOURS BUT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE TOWARD THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH (6 KM/HR) TONIGHT.

A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST IS EXPECTED TOMORROW.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK HANNA WILL BE MOVING OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 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) TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES (260 KM).

A WIND GUST OF 61 MPH WAS RECENTLY OBSERVED IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 983 MB (29.03 INCHES). HANNA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 12 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY.

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.

THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING MUDSLIDES AND FLASH FLOODING. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3-5 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. **************************