WTUS84 KCRP 311212 HLSCRP TXZ243>247-311615- HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 715 AM CDT SUN AUG 31 2003 ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM CORPUS CHRISTI TO PORT O'CONNOR... ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTIES OF ARANSAS...CALHOUN...NUECES...REFUGIO AND SAN PATRICIO. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST FROM CORPUS CHRISTI TO PORT O'CONNOR. THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING EXTENDS NORTHWARD INTO THE UPPER TEXAS COAST TO HIGH ISLAND TEXAS. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 7AM...THE VERY POORLY DEFINED CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GRACE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.7 NORTH AND LONGITUDE 96.0 WEST OR ABOUT 85 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI. TROPICAL STORM GRACE WAS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. THE FORECAST TRACK OF GRACE IS TO MAINTAIN THIS MOVEMENT...AND MAKE LANDFALL EARLY THIS AFTERNOON NEAR PORT ARANSAS. MAXIMUM SUSTAIN WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS MAINLY EAST OF THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GRACE. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED AS GRACE. ...PRECAUTIONARY ACTIONS... SINCE GRACE IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL AS A MINIMAL TROPICAL STORM...NO EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN ORDERED. RESIDENTS ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES SHOULD SECURE TRASH CANS... LAWN FURNITURE...AND OTHER LOOSE OR LIGHT WEIGHT OBJECTS THAT MAY BE BLOWN AROUND IN THE WIND. RESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE FLASHLIGHTS...A BATTERY OPERATED RADIO AND EXTRA BATTERIES IN CASE POWER OUTAGES OCCUR. ...STORM SURGE AND TIDE IMPACTS... A STORM SURGE OF 2 TO 4 FEET IS POSSIBLE MAINLY OVER CALHOUN AND ARANSAS COUNTIES AS THE SYSTEM MAKES A PROJECTED LANDFALL NEAR PORT ARANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. A STORM SURGE OF 2 FEET WILL PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING ON THE BEACHES OF MATAGORDA ISLAND. AT 3 FEET... FLOODING OF BEACH AREAS ON ST. JOSEPH ISLAND WILL BE POSSIBLE. TIDE LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY SLIGHTLY ABOVE ONE HALF FOOT TO ONE FOOT ABOVE NORMAL AT BOB HALL PIER...PORT O'CONNOR AND ROCKPORT. TIDE LEVELS NEAR PORT O'CONNOR MAY RISE 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE ASTRONOMICAL TIDE AS GRACE MAKES LANDFALL THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH TIDE AT PORT O'CONNOR WILL BE AT 726 AM THIS MORNING AND LOW TIDE WILL BE AT 240 PM THIS AFTERNOON. AT PORT ARANSAS...HIGH TIDE THIS EVENING WILL BE AT 756 PM. BASED ON THE PROJECTED TRACK AND STRENGTH OF TROPICAL STORM GRACE...TIDE IMPACTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANT ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF PORT ARANSAS. NO FLOODING OF THE JFK CAUSEWAY IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ...WIND IMPACTS... THE WINDS OFFSHORE WILL INCREASE TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE THIS MORNING AS GRACE APPROACHES AND ARE FORECASTED TO BE 25 TO 35 KNOTS TODAY OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS OF THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST. MINIMAL TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF CALHOUN AND ARANSAS DURING THIS AFTERNOON. THE WINDS WILL RAPIDLY DIMINISH LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING AS GRACE PROGRESSES INLAND TOWARD CENTRAL TEXAS. ...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS... SEAS WERE RANGING FROM 6 TO 7 EARLY THIS MORNING AND AS GRACE APPROACHES THE COAST THIS MORNING...SEAS WILL INCREASE TO 8 TO 9 FEET NORTH OF PORT ARANSAS AND WILL REMAIN NEAR 7 TO 8 FEET SOUTH OF PORT ARANSAS. THESE LARGE SEAS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE VERY ROUGH SURF AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ACROSS ALL OF THE SOUTH TEXAS BEACHES TODAY. ...TORNADO IMPACTS... THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES APPEARS MINIMAL AT THIS TIME. ...FLOOD IMPACTS... BASED ON THE EXPECTED TRACK OF THE SYSTEM...THE THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE NORTH AND EAST OF PORT ARANSAS. HOWEVER... RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY OVER CALHOUN... ARANSAS...REFUGIO...GOLIAD AND VICTORIA COUNTIES THROUGH TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE TO THE SOUTH OF THE TRACK OF TROPICAL STORM GRACE. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT SCHEDULED STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 11 AM CDT THIS MORNING. $$ PATRICK