NOAA News Online (Story 2313)

FRANCES REMAINS A LARGE TROPICAL STORM AND IS MOVING OFFSHORE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO

(DISCLAIMER: See the NOAA National Hurricane Center for the latest information and more frequent updates on this storm. Complete advisories are posted at 11 a.m., 5 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. All times are Eastern. Advisories are posted more frequently as the storm nears the USA mainland.)
Latest NOAA Satellite Image of Frances (Visible)	Latest NOAA Infrared Satellite Image of Frances	Latest NOAA Tampa Bay, Fla., Radar Image	NOAA Satellite/Radar Time Conversion

NOAA satellite image of Tropical Storm Frances taken at 10:45 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2004, as the storm heads into the Gulf of Mexico.

Sept. 5, 2004 — At 11 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Frances was located near latitude 28.3 north, longitude 82.7 west or about 25 miles north-northwest of Tampa, Fla. Frances is moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph, and a turn toward the northwest is expected during the next 24 hours. The center of Frances is at the Gulf Coast and is forecast to move over the waters of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on Monday and then move inland over the Florida panhandle in about 24 hours, according to the NOAA Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm Frances taken at 10:45 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2004, as the storm heads into the Gulf of Mexico. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is possible during the next 24 hours, and there is a chance that Frances could again become a hurricane.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 976 mb, 28.82 inches.

NOAA National Weather Service Tampa Bay, Fla., Doppler radar image of Tropical Storm Frances taken at 10:53 p.m. EDT on Sept. 5, 2004, as the large storm moves into the Gulf of Mexico.

Coastal storm surge flooding, along with large and dangerous battering waves, continue along the north Florida east coast but should gradually subside. Storm surge flooding of up to 5 feet above normal levels is expected to subside on Monday. Along the southwest Florida coast storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels is expected south of the path of Frances. Storm surge flooding of up to 4 to 8 feet above normal tide levels is expected along the northeast Gulf Coast of Florida to the north of the path of the storm. (Click image for larger view of NOAA National Weather Service Tampa Bay, Fla., Doppler radar image of Tropical Storm Frances taken at 10:53 p.m. EDT on Sept. 5, 2004, as the large storm moves into the Gulf of Mexico. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Rainfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches, with locally higher amounts, are expected over portions of the southeastern United States along Frances’ wide path.

Isolated tornadoes are possible overnight over portions of southern Georgia and northern Florida.

NOAA image of 11 p.m. EDT Tropical Storm Frances tracking map for Sept. 5, 2004.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the northwest Gulf Coast of Florida from Anna Maria Island to Destin. (Click NOAA image for larger view of 11 p.m. EDT Tropical Storm Frances tracking map for Sept. 5, 2004.)

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the southwest coast of Florida from south of Anna Maria Island to Ocean Reef, including all of the Florida Keys, Florida Bay and the Dry Tortugas; and for the east coast of Florida and Georgia from north of Jupiter Inlet northward to Altamaha Sound, Ga., including Lake Okeechobee.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices and statements from local emergency management officials.

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