Dennis Continuing To Strengthen Rapidly as Category 3

Dangerous Category 3 Dennis Continuing To Strengthen Rapidly

NOAA/NWS via BBSNews 2005-07-09 - [9:00pm advisory] - A Hurricane Warning Remains In Effect For Portions Of The Northeastern Gulf Coast From The Steinhatchee River Florida Westward To The Mouth Of The Pearl River At The Louisiana-Mississippi Border.

Hurricane Dennis 5:00 pm July 9th, 2005 Expected Landfall Advisory. Photo Credit: NOAA/NWS. The image shown above in its full size is available here. For real-time hurricane tracking and the BBSNews HurrTrak Tools Menu of animated radar and satellite imagery click here. To track the storm by National Weather Service Radar, click here to see Mobile, Alabama NWS Radar or enter a city or zip code in the path of the approaching storm.

A Tropical Storm Warning Remains In Effect Along The Florida West Coast From East Of The Steinhatchee River Southward To Flamingo... And For The Lower Florida Keys West Of Seven Mile Bridge. A Tropical Storm Warning Is Also In Effect For The Southeastern Louisiana Coast West Of The Mouth Of The Pearl River To Grand Isle...Including Metropolitan New Orleans And Lake Ponchartrain.

A Hurricane Or Tropical Storm Warning Means That Hurricane Or Tropical Storm Conditions...Respectively...Are Expected Within The Warning Area Within The Next 24 Hours. Preparations To Protect Life And Property Should Be Rushed To Completion In The Hurricane Warning Area.

For Storm Information Specific To Your Area...Including Possible Inland Watches And Warnings...Please Monitor Products Issued By Your Local Weather Office.

At 8 Pm Cdt...0100Z...The Center Of Hurricane Dennis Was Located Near Latitude 26.3 North...Longitude 85.1 West Or About 275 Miles South Of Panama City Florida And About 365 Miles Southeast Of Biloxi Mississippi.

Dennis Is Moving Toward The Northwest Near 13 Mph And A Gradual Turn Toward The North-Northwest Is Expected Tonight Or Sunday. This Motion Will Bring The Center Of Dennis Near The Northern Gulf Coast On Sunday.

Reports From An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter Aircraft Indicate That Maximum Sustained Winds Are Now Near 125 Mph...With Higher Gusts. This Makes Dennis A Category 3 Hurricane On The Saffir-Simpson Scale. Additional Strengthening Is Expected...And Dennis Could Become A Category 4 Hurricane Before Landfall On The Northern Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Force Winds Extend Outward Up To 40 Miles...From The Center...And Tropical Storm Force Winds Extend Outward Up To 175 Miles.

The Latest Minimum Central Pressure Reported By The Hurricane Hunter Is 942 Mb...27.82 Inches.

Dennis Is Expected To Produce Total Rainfall Accumulations Of 4 To 8 Inches Across The Florida Keys...The Florida West Coast...The Florida Panhandle...Southern Alabama...And Southern Mississippi. Isolated Totals Near 12 Inches Are Possible Near Where Dennis Makes Landfall Along The Gulf Coast. Additional Rain Accumulations Of 3 To 6 Inches Are Possible Across Central Cuba...Which Could Produce Life-Threatening Flash Floods And Mudslides.

Storm Surge Will Gradually Decrease Along The Lower Florida Keys Tonight. A Storm Surge Of 2 To 4 Feet Is Possible Along The Southwestern Coast Of Florida Tonight And Sunday Morning. A Storm Surge Of 12 To 14 Feet...Accompanied By Large And Dangerous Battering Waves...Is Possible Near And To The East Of Where The Center Of Dennis Crosses The Northern Gulf Coast On Sunday.

Isolated Tornadoes Will Be Possible Over The Central And Southern Florida Peninsula And The Florida Keys This Evening...And Across The Florida Panhandle Tonight And Sunday.

Repeating The 8 Pm Cdt Position...26.3 N... 85.1 W. Movement Toward...Northwest Near 13 Mph. Maximum Sustained Winds...125 Mph. Minimum Central Pressure... 942 Mb.

The Next Advisory Will Be Issued By The National Hurricane Center At 10 Pm Cdt.