[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KILM 291832
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099>101-SCZ017-023-024-032>034-039-
046-292145-

TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
228 PM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004

...GASTON CONTINUES WEAKENING OVER SOUTH CAROLINA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA...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 LITTLE RIVER INLET
SOUTH CAROLINA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS CONTINUE ALONG GEORGETOWN AND HORRY COUNTIES
IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

A INLAND TROPICAL STORM HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES FOR ROBESON
COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA AND MARLBORO...DILLON...DARLINGTON
...MARION...FLORENCE AND WILLIAMSBURG IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FOR THE POTENTIAL OF HEAVY
RAIN.

A TORNADO WATCH IN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 10 PM.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED INLAND
NEAR LATITUDE 33.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE  79.6 WEST OR ABOUT 75 MILES
SOUTH OF FLORENCE SOUTH CAROLINA.

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.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 45 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  CONTINUED WEAKENING IS FORECAST AND GASTON SHOULD BECOME A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATER TODAY.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 998 MB OR 29.47 INCHES.

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

POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

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

AT 200 PM...RAIN BANDS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH WINDS
GUSTING 35 TO 55 MPH WERE CONTINUING TO CIRCULATE ACROSS
WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO
50 MPH WILL MOVE INTO FLORENCE AND MARION COUNTIES AFTER 3 PM
AND THEN SPREAD NORTHWARD INTO DARLINGTON...MARLBORO AND DILLON
COUNTIES AFTER 4 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 HAS OCCURRED AT 135 PM AT SPRINGMAID PIER IN
HORRY COUNTY. THE NEXT TIDE WILL BE A HIGH TIDE AT 753 PM. 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.

MODERATE BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA WATERS WILL RANGE UP TO 14 FEET...WHILE
THE NORTH CAROLINA WATERS AROUND CAPE FEAR WILL HAVE SEAS RANGING TO
10 FEET TODAY. SURF WILL BE 3 TO 5 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 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN WERE
DETECTED IN PARTS OF NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...MAINLY ACROSS
WILLIAMSBURG AND GEORGETOWN. GASTON WILL MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE AREA
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES
WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. 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 530 PM.

$$
MAC














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