700 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008
...GUSTAV WEAKENS...BUT STILL A HURRICANE...
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.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS 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 700 PM CDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 30.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.2 WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES...
25 KM...NORTH-NORTHWEST OF OPELOUSAS LOUISIANA. THIS POSITION IS
ALSO ABOUT 35 MILES...55 KM...NORTH-NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE
LOUISIANA.
GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 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 NORTHEASTERN TEXAS ON TUESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 75 MPH...120 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 EXPECTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM TONIGHT
OR EARLY TUESDAY AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATE TUESDAY OR ON
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.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 972 MB...28.70 INCHES.
STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE TONIGHT.
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.
