TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOUR LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 631 AM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 ..TROPICAL STORM WARNING ISSUED FOR NEW DEPRESSION IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO... AREAS AFFECTED... THIS LOCAL STATEMENT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND MARINE INTERESTS IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND...AS WELL AS THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. WATCHES/WARNINGS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND BIG BEND...AS WELL AS THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. A TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE INLAND FLORIDA PANHANDLE...INCLUDING LIBERTY COUNTY. A WARNING MEANS THAT THE STATED CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS FOR THE SPECIFIED AREAS. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND WESTERN FLORIDA BIG BEND. PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST PUBLIC AND MARINE FORECASTS FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL HAZARDS. STORM INFORMATION... AT 5 AM EDT...OR 4 AM CDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOUR WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.9 WEST... OR ABOUT 90 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF TAMPA FLORIDA. THIS IS ABOUT 200 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PANAMA CITY FL...OR ABOUT 190 MILES SOUTH OF TALLAHASSEE FL. THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF THE DEPRESSION SHOULD BE VERY NEAR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST OF FLORIDA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED AND THE DEPRESSION IS FORECAST TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM PRIOR TO REACHING THE COASTLINE. SITUATION OVERVIEW... TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOUR IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO IS EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY TO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THIS EVENING BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR RESIDENTS TO GO OVER THEIR DISASTER PLANS. VISITORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CHECK WITH HOTEL MANAGEMENT OR WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS REGARDING ANY ACTIONS THEY SHOULD TAKE. FOR COASTAL LOCATIONS AND PLACES PRONE TO COASTAL FLOODING... TROPICAL CYCLONES BRING BOTH HIGH WINDS AND STORM SURGE... TORRENTIAL RAINS AND LOCAL FLOODING. FOR THE MARINE WATERS...TROPICAL CYCLONES GENERATE HIGH WINDS AND DANGEROUS SEAS. TORNADOES...AND WATERSPOUTS OFTEN ACCOMPANY TROPICAL CYCLONES. NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE AROUND 9 AM EDT...OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. ..TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/ MONDAY... ..NEW INFORMATION... A TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING HAS NOW BEEN ISSUED. A MORE DETAILED STATEMENT WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY. JAMSKI/BARRY Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI to unsubscribe send a message, containing a subject line of the word unsubscribe, to tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web interface, or by sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.