This page includes the current or most recent Virtual Emergency Operations Center Situation Brief. The Situation Brief represents the staff's best assessment of the current disaster situation based on a variety of official and unofficial sources. Confidence assessment for the information may be included. This information is not a substitute for authoritative governmental information or direction by your jurisdiction's Emergency Management Agency or by your organization or agency. The Virtual Emergency Operations Center strongly suggests that you use this only as one of many evaluations of the situation, and not make response decisions based solely or even primarily on this source. Because this briefing is updated on a daily basis, information in the briefing is current only based upon reports received or accessed at the time of the briefing's release. The Virtual Emergency Operations Center assumes no responsibility for the use of this briefing or for decisions made based on information in the briefing.

1. ACTUAL OR EXERCISE: Actual

2. EVENT NAME AND TYPE: Hurricane Gordon

3. CURRENT AS OF: 17 September 2000 at 1400

4. CURRENT LOCATION: At 1400 today Hurricane Gordon was centered near 28.1 degrees North, 83.7 degrees West, approximately 90 miles south-southeast of Cedar Key, Florida (HC).

5. DISTANCE TO IMPACT: Given the forecast track, which should take Gordon ashore within 30 miles of Cedar Key, there is approximately 90 miles to landfall.

6. EARLIEST IMPACT TIME: Expect landfall at approximately 2000 tonight. Gale force winds are currently being felt along the Florida west coast.

7. ALERTS, WATCHES, AND WARNINGS:

a. Florida Gulf Coast:

TROPICAL STORM WARNING – Bonita Beach north to Anna Maria Island HURRICANE WARNING – Anna Maria Island north to the Ochlockonee River TROPICAL STORM WARNING and HURRICANE WATCH – Ocholockonee River west to Indian Pass (HC).

b. Florida Peninsula:

TORNADO WATCH – most of the Florida peninsula FLOOD and FLASH FLOOD WATCHES - central Florida peninsula (MC)

c. Atlantic Coast:

TROPICAL STORM WARNING – Titusville, Florida north to Little River Inlet, South Carolina TROPICAL STORM WATCH – Little River Inlet to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (HC)

8. CURRENT SITUATION:

a. On Saturday Tropical Storm Gordon deposited approximately 10 inches of rain on Cuba as it passed over the Island (MC).

b. Hurricane Gordon is tracking north-northeast at nearly 14 miles per hour. Minimum central pressure is 29.18 inches (988 mb). Maximum sustained winds are near 75 miles per hour with gusts, with hurricane force winds extending to 60 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds to 175 miles (HC).

c. Sebring, Florida has reported rain accumulations in excess of 8 inches. Storm surge flooding of 2 to 3 feet is reported in Pinellas County (MC).

d. There is a report that a tornado touched down in Broward County (LC).

9. FORECAST CONDITIONS:

a. Heavy rainfall amounts in the 7 to 10 inch range, locally more, are forecast for central and northern Florida. Coastal storm surge flooding in the range from 7 to 10 feet on top of the current tide level can be expected in the Hurricane Warning area near and to the south of landfall (HC).

b. The projected path of Hurricane Gordon takes the storm across the Florida peninsula and up the Atlantic Coast. There is uncertainty as to the future development of the storm due to weakening and the presence of a cold front. However, if it continues on the forecast track, the following coastal references provide an approximate progression: on Monday morning the storm will be approaching Charleston, South Carolina, Monday evening Morehead City, North Carolina, Tuesday morning Chincoteague, Virginia, and Wednesday morning Long Island (LC).

10. IMPACT JURISDICTIONS: Florida currently; possibly all Atlantic Coast states over the next three days.

11. DISASTER DECLARATIONS: Governor of Florida declared state of emergency on 16 September (HC).

12. LEVEL OF OPERATIONS: Response Phase. Florida Emergency Operations Center is at Level 1 Activation (full staffing). Local Emergency Operations Centers were open at various levels in 11 Florida counties (HC). As of 16 September South Carolina Emergency Operations Center was at OPCON 5 (normal operations) but monitoring storm developments. At 1400 on 17 September Virginia declared Readiness Condition 4 with increased storm monitoring activity.

13. POPULATION PROTECTION MEASURES: As of 16 September at 1700 voluntary evacuations were in progress in Citrus, Hernando, Manatee, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Sarasota counties. Shelters were being opened or were on standby in Citrus, Levy, Manatee, and Polk Counties (HC). As of 1400 today mandatory evacuations are in effect for Citrus, Franklin, Levy, and Taylor counties (MC).

14. RESOURCES ALERTED OR ACTIVATED: Florida has activated its alternate emergency operations center, liaison teams, and military support resources (HC).

15. ON-GOING DISASTER OPERATIONS: not reported.

16. FEDERAL RESPONSE: not reported.

17. VOAD RESPONSE: not reported

18. FATALITIES AND INJURED: not reported.

19. DAMAGE: Beach erosion reported on Florida west coast beaches (MC).

NOTE: Data is assessed by confidence level as follows:

HC - High Confidence – data released by officials sources either by press release, situation report, forecast, or Internet page.

MC - Medium Confidence – data from other usually reliable sources, including television news reports with event footage, but that cannot be confirmed by other sources or that may not present a full picture of the event.

LC - Low Confidence – information from sources of unknown reliability or that appears to be contradicted by other sources.

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