[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KCHS 281805
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ116>119-138>141-SCZ043-047>051-282300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
157 PM EDT SAT AUG 28 2004

...TROPICAL STORM GASTON DRIFTING SLOWLY TOWARD THE WEST...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER TO LITTLE RIVER INLET.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ELSEWHERE ALONG THE
SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST NORTH OF LITTLE RIVER INLET TO SURF CITY
NORTH CAROLINA...AND SOUTH OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER TO FERNANDINA
BEACH FLORIDA.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS OF
MCINTOSH...LIBERTY...BRYAN...AND CHATHAM COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST
GEORGIA AND BEAUFORT...JASPER...COLLETON...AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES IN
SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE
GEORGIA COAST. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 24 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.7 WEST OR ABOUT 120 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. GASTON IS DRIFTING TOWARD THE WEST AND A SLOW MOTION
TOWARD THE WEST OR WEST NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS. ON ITS CURRENT FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF GASTON IS EXPECTED
TO MAKE LANDFALL ON THE COAST OF CHARLESTON COUNTY NEAR DOWNTOWN
CHARLESTON AROUND 8 PM EDT SUNDAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
BECAUSE GASTON IS FORECAST TO REMAIN A WEAK TROPICAL STORM AS IT
APPROACHES THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST...STORM SURGE WILL BE MINIMAL.
HOWEVER ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY EVENINGS COMBINED
WITH STRONG ONSHORE WINDS...WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF COASTAL
FLOODING AND SIGNIFICANT BEACH EROSION. STORM TIDES OF 1 TO 3 FEET
ABOVE PREDICTED LEVELS MAY OCCUR MAINLY ON THE BEACHES NEAR
CHARLESTON. OFFSHORE WINDS OVER THE GEORGIA COAST AND SOUTHERN SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST WILL LIMIT THE STORM TIDE SOUTH OF BEAUFORT.

THE HIGHEST PREDICTED TIDES FOR CHARLESTON HARBOR ARE AT 740 PM THIS
EVENING...AND 831 PM SUNDAY EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF THE EXPECTED
TIME OF LANDFALL OF GASTON WITH THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE MAY DRIVE TIDE
LEVELS ABOVE 8 FEET SUNDAY NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON...CREATING
MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING PROBLEMS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS AND ALONG
THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND
ARE EXPECTED TO REACH TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATE TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE INTO EARLY SUNDAY NIGHT. BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST
TRACK...WINDS ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST WILL REMAIN BELOW TROPICAL
STORM STRENGTH. WHILE THE CURRENT TRACK SHOWS LITTLE WIND EFFECTS FOR
COASTAL GEORGIA...A SHIFT IN THE EXPECTED FORECAST TRACK MAY INCREASE
FORECAST WIND SPEEDS ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST.  ALL RESIDENTS UNDER
THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH SHOULD PREPARE FOR TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AS GASTON
APPROACHES THE COAST. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. SEAS OF 6 TO
10 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS LATE TONIGHT INTO
SUNDAY.  AS SWELL BREAKS ALONG BEACHES THIS AFTERNOON INTO
SUNDAY...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL BE LIKELY.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
WITH THE CURRENT INTENSITY FORECAST...FLOODING RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE
MAINLY ACROSS THE LOWCOUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL
TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
CLOSE TO THE FORECAST TRACK...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. LESSER
RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST. WITH THE
GROUND STILL FAIRLY SATURATED FROM RECENT RAINS...FLOODING IS
POSSIBLE. A FLOOD WATCH WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED THIS AFTERNOON.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TROPICAL STORM GASTON CAN BE FOUND IN
ADVISORIES ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...AS WELL AS
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS AND SHORT TERM FORECASTS ISSUED BY THIS
OFFICE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AROUND 6 PM EDT.

$$

AUSTIN
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