The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated to provide resources to the counties as requested due to Tropical Storm Isaac, now located less than 600 miles southeast of Miami, Florida. Governor Scott and the State Emergency Response Team are monitoring the situation and are prepared to support local officials. Florida’s residents, businesses and visitors should focus on preparedness efforts over the weekend to ensure safety and security following any potential affects from Tropical Storm Isaac.
Tropical Storm Isaac remains a large storm and tropical storm force winds, 39 to 73 miles per hour, now extend as far as 230 miles from the center. Tropical storm force winds could arrive as early as Sunday morning in the Keys and Miami-Dade counties, with winds arriving further north in southern Florida Sunday afternoon. Hurricane force winds could arrive in the Keys late Sunday night. Areas of the Florida Panhandle could see the arrival of tropical storm force winds Monday night through Tuesday.
Families and businesses should visit www.FloridaDisaster.org to build their emergency plan and learn about what to stock in the disaster supply kits, including water, food, medication, important papers and other essential items. Supplies should be able to sustain your family for up to 72 hours after a disaster. Residents and visitors should heed all instructions from local officials and stay tuned to local media for the latest on Tropical Storm Isaac.
WEATHER UPDATE:
At 8 am EDT Saturday, Tropical Storm Isaac was emerging from the coast of Haiti, located about 125 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, or approximately 587 miles southeast of Miami, Florida. Isaac continues to move northwest around 14 mph.
A general northwest to west-northwest motion is expected through the next three days, followed by a turn to the north on Tuesday. Forecasts take Tropical Storm Isaac across eastern Cuba today and moving out into the Florida Straits Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Isaac is then forecast move over the Florida Keys late Sunday night, parallel Southwest Florida Monday, then turn towards the north on Tuesday ahead of an approaching trough, eventually making landfall Tuesday night somewhere in the Florida Panhandle, although the range of possibilities is still between Apalachee Bay and southeastern Louisiana. Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph. Although Isaac is feeling the effects of land interaction, strengthening is expected to occur once Isaac emerges from the eastern Cuba tonight. There is a 50% chance that Isaac could remain a tropical storm, but every intensity model shows Isaac becoming a hurricane either in the Florida Straits or eastern Gulf of Mexico.
SUMMARY:
· Hurricane Warning – Entire Florida Keys; Florida West Coast from Bonita Beach southward
· Hurricane Watch – Golden Beach to Ocean Reef
· Tropical Storm Warning – Jupiter Inlet to Ocean Reef
· Tropical Storm Watch – Jupiter Inlet north to Sebastian Inlet
· The following state parks are experiencing full or partial closure: Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Bahia Honda State Park, Curry Hammock State Park, Long Key State Park, Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Dagny John Key Largo Hammock State Park, Oleta River State Park, The Barnacle Historic State Park, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park.
· The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee has activated in response to Tropical Storm Isaac. All Emergency Support Functions, as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency staff, are represented at the SEOC.
· There have been no airport closures scheduled and all seaports are open.
· Florida’s residents and visitors are encouraged to be prepared now by ensuring their emergency plans are updated and disaster supply kits are stocked. Tools to build your family or business emergency plan and learn about what to put in your disaster supply kit are available at www.FloridaDisaster.org.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 – November 30. To GET A PLAN! visit www.FloridaDisaster.org. For the latest information on the 2012 Hurricane Season, follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/flsert and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.
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