400 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008
AT 4 PM CDT...2100 UTC...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...2100Z...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.
