[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KILM 291546
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099>101-SCZ017-023-024-032>034-039-
046-291845-

TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1140 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004

...GASTON INLAND AND WEAKENING...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER...PENDER...
COLUMBUS...BLADEN AND ROBESON. IN NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA...GEORGETOWN...HORRY...WILLIAMSBURG...FLORENCE...MARION...
DARLINGTON...MARLBORO AND DILLON. THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE COASTAL
WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH CAROLINA TO SURF CITY NORTH
CAROLINA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
THE HURRICANE WARNING ALONG GEORGETOWN AND HORRY COUNTIES HAVE BEEN
LOWERED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING.

THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST AS FAR
NORTH AS SURF CITY HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.

THE INLAND TROPICAL STORM HIGH WIND WARNING FOR COLUMBUS AND BLADEN
COUNTIES HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. THE INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ROBESON COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA AND
MARLBORO...DILLON...DARLINGTON...MARION...FLORENCE AND WILLIAMSBURG.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FOR THE POTENTIAL OF HEAVY
RAIN...AND A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED INLAND NEAR LATITUDE
33.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE  79.5 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA...20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GEORGETOWN AND 50
MILES SOUTHWEST OF MYRTLE BEACH.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 992 MB...29.29 INCHES.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. STEADY
WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS GASTON CONTINUES
MOVING OVER LAND.

GASTON IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 8 MPH AND A NORTHWARD TO
NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON
THIS TRACK THE CENTER WILL CONTINUE MOVING OVER EASTERN SOUTH
CAROLINA TODAY AND OVER NORTH CAROLINA LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY
MONDAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS SHOULD FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. STORE OR SECURE LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
BOAT OWNERS SHOULD TAKE ACTION NOW AND SECURE THEIR BOATS FOR HIGH
WIND CONDITIONS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THERE IS A RISK OF ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS THE AREA TODAY...BUT
THE HIGHEST RISK IS ALONG AND EAST OF THE PATH OF GASTON AS IT MOVES
UP THE PEE DEE REGION.

AT 1100 AM...RAIN BANDS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH
WINDS GUSTING 35 TO 55 MPH WERE CIRCULATING ACROSS GEORGETOWN AND
WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
50 MPH WILL MOVE INTO FLORENCE AND MARION COUNTIES BETWEEN 1 PM AND
4 PM AND THEN SPREADING NORTHWARD INTO DARLINGTON...MARLBORO AND
DILLON COUNTIES AFTER 3 PM. THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AS
GASTON MOVES INTO NORTH CAROLINA THIS EVENING.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
LOW TIDE THIS AFTERNOON WILL OCCUR AT 135 PM AT SPRINGMAID PIER IN
HORRY COUNTY. AS ONSHORE WINDS CONTINUE TIDES WILL AVERAGE ABOUT 2
TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...WITH MINOR TO MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING
EXPECTED IN GEORGETOWN. IN HORRY AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES TIDES
WILL BE 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL WITH MINOR FLOODING EXPECTED.
AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES AND THE CENTER OF GASTON MOVES TO THE
NORTH THE WINDS WILL PARALLEL THE COAST AND EVENTUALLY SHIFT TO THE
NORTHWEST BY THIS EVENING.

WITH THE EVENING HIGH TIDE AROUND 8 PM...A 2 TO 4 FOOT SURGE IS
EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTHERN WACCAMAW RIVER FROM GEORGETOWN TO NEAR
WAVERLY MILLS. A 1 TO 2 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED WITH LITTLE COASTAL
FLOODING THIS EVENING ACROSS NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTIES.

MODERATE BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA WATERS WILL RANGE UP TO 16 FEET...WHILE
THE NORTH CAROLINA WATERS AROUND CAPE FEAR WILL HAVE SEAS RANGING TO
13 FEET TODAY. SURF WILL BE 4 TO 6 FEET. THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR
RIP CURRENTS.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN IN SPOTS DURING THE PAST
FEW DAYS...AND RADAR ESTIMATES OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN WERE
DETECTED IN PARTS OF NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA THIS MORNING. GASTON
WILL MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE COASTAL
COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA CAN EXPECT 1 TO 2 INCHES. FLOOD WARNINGS
WILL CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS DEVELOP.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS TROPICAL SYSTEM CAN BE FOUND IN
ADVISORIES ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...AND IN PUBLIC
INFORMATION STATEMENTS AND SHORT TERM FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN WILMINGTON.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON BY 230 PM.

$$
MAC











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