BILL AT THE COAST;
DANGEROUS FLOOD THREAT CONTINUES FROM HEAVY RAIN AND STORM SURGE

(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.)

June 30, 2003 � At 5 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Bill was located near latitude 29.5 north, longitude 90.8 west or about 30 miles east of Morgan City, La. This position is over Terrebonne Bay, La. Bill has been moving toward the northeast near 10 mph but is expected to shortly resume a north-northeastward motion. This motion will move the center well inland in the next 24 hours, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm Bill, which was taken by the NOAA environmental satellite GOES-10 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher gusts. Weakening is forecast Monday night as the storm moves inland. Sustained wind speeds of 50 mph, with gusts to 60 mph, were recently reported by two automated stations located south of Houma maintained by Louisiana State University.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 145 miles from the center mainly over the water. The minimum central pressure is 997 mb, 29.44 inches based on observations from the Lumcon Marine Center in Cocodrie, La. (Click NOAA tracking map for larger view.)

Storm surge coastal flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels near and to the east of the center is expected to gradually subside later Monday night. Additional rainfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches are expected over portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the western Florida panhandle.

A few tornadoes are possible over portions of southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western Florida panhandle.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect from Intracoastal City, La., to Pascagoula, Miss. At 5 p.m. EDT, the tropical storm warning is discontinued west of Intracoastal City.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices.

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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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Media Contact:
Frank Lepore, NOAA Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404