Huuricane Dean Update 9 AM
DEAN MADE LANDFALL ON THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA NEAR THE CRUISE SHIP PORT OF COSTA MAYA AROUND 0330 CDT…AND THE EYE IS NOW JUST INLAND. OBSERVATIONS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATE THAT THE HURRICANE WAS INTENSIFYING RIGHT UP TOLANDFALL. A PEAK FLIGHT-LEVEL WIND OF 190 MPH WAS MEASURED JUST NORTH OF THE EYE. A GPS DROPSONDE IN THE NORTHERN EYEWALL MEASURED A WIND SPEED OF 205 MPH AVERAGED OVER THE LOWEST 500 FEET OF THE SOUNDING. BASED ON THE DROPSONDE AND THE FLIGHT-LEVEL WINDS…THE INTENSITY IS SET AT 165 MPH. MEASURED A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 906 MB OR 26.75″ JUST PRIOR TO LANDFALL. THE 906 MB CENTRAL PRESSURE IS THE NINTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR AN ATLANTIC BASIN HURRICANE…AND THE THIRD LOWEST AT LANDFALL BEHIND THE 1935 LABOR DAY HURRICANE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND HURRICANE GILBERT OF 1988 IN CANCUN MEXICO. DEAN IS ALSO THE FIRST CATEGORY FIVEHURRICANE TO MAKE LANDFALL IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN SINCE ANDREW OF 1992.
AT 700 AM CDT..THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DEAN WAS LOCATED INLAND OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA NEAR LATITUDE 18.92 NORTH…LONGITUDE 88.75 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES…NORTHWEST OF CHETUMAL MEXICO AND ABOUT 135 MILES…EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CAMPECHE MEXICO. DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MPH…MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH…THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 935 MB…27.61 INCHES.
I’LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE ON DEAN LATER TODAY.
THIS EVENING, I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE RISING RIVER LEVELS ON THE DES PLAINES AND FOX RIVERS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. AT RUSSELL, GURNEE AND FOX RIVER GROVE, THE RIVERS ARE NEAR,IN MINOR FLOOD STAGE OR WILL SO BE IN FLOOD STAGE. NO RIVERS ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO REACH MODERATE FLOODING.
