8 p.m. update on hurricanes (video of grounded ship, barges)

NEWS RELEASE

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTRE

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Hurricane Gustav

GUSTAV WEAKENS, BUT STILL A HURRICANE. 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. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS 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 700 PM CDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.7 NORTH - LONGITUDE 92.2 WEST - OR ABOUT 15 MILES (25 KM) NORTH-NORTHWEST OF OPELOUSAS LOUISIANA.

THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 35 MILES (55 KM) NORTH-NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH (22 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 NORTHEASTERN TEXAS ON TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 75 MPH (120 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 EXPECTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM TONIGHT OR EARLY TUESDAY AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATE TUESDAY OR ON 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). ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 972 MB (28.70 INCHES). STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL BEGIN 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. ************************* Hurricane Hanna

HANNA NEARLY STATIONARY. 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 THIS SYSTEM. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 800 PM AST, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE HANNA WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.1 NORTH - LONGITUDE 72.3 WEST - OR JUST NORTHWEST OF THE CAICOS ISLANDS. 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 WEDNESDAY. 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) TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER, AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES (260 KM). THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 980 MB (28.94 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, 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. *************************