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CLAUDETTE TURNS WEST; NEARING HURRICANE STRENGTH (See the NOAA National Hurricane Center for the latest information 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.) July 14, 2003 � The NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., reports that at 11 p.m. EDT the center of Tropical Storm Claudette was estimated near latitude 27.8 north, longitude 94.1 west or about 195 miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas. Claudette is moving toward the west near 8 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue with a slight increase in forward speed over the next 24 hours. On the current forecast track, Claudette will be near the central Texas coast by Tuesday evening. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm Claudette taken at 11:15 p.m. EDT on July 14, 2003. Please credit “NOAA.”)
Maximum sustained winds have increased and are now near 70 mph with higher gusts. Claudette is very close to hurricane strength and is expected to become a hurricane overnight. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles from the center.
The latest pressure measured by an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft was 988 mb, 29.18 inches. (Click NOAA tracking map for larger view of Tropical Storm Claudette.)
Storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels, accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves, can be expected in the warning area near and to the north of where the center crosses the coast. Large swells have been impacting the shorelines along the Texas coast and are creating above normal tides and dangerous surf conditions. Storm total rainfall of 5 to 8 inches is possible in association with Claudette. A hurricane warning remains in effect along the Texas coast from Baffin Bay to High Island. A tropical storm warning remains in effect north of High Island, Texas, to Intracoastal City, La. A hurricane watch remains in effect south of Baffin Bay to Brownsville, Texas.
Special Statements from NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Offices. Corpus Christi, Texas Brownsville, Texas Houston/Galveston, Texas Houston, Texas, Doppler Radar Lake Charles, La.
For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation�s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Relevant Web Sites
NOAA National Hurricane Center — Get the latest advisories here
NOAA Atlantic Hurricanes Database — 150 Years of Atlantic Hurricanes
NOAA Forecasters Say Six to Nine Hurricanes Could Threaten in 2003
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
NOAA River Forecast Centers
NOAA Flood Products
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24-hour Observed Precipitation as of 8 a.m. today
Latest rainfall data as of 8 a.m. EDT today
NOAA Buoys NOAA Tides Online
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NOAA Hurricanes Page
NOAA Storm Watch — Get the latest severe weather information across the USA Media Contact:
Frank Lepore, NOAA Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404
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