[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMLB 081534
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
081600-

TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1130 AM EDT THU SEP 8 2005

...TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA MEANDERING JUST OFFSHORE WHILE SLOWLY
BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED...

...OUTER RAINBANDS WITH 50 MPH WINDS ROTATING CLOSE TO THE COAST...

...NEW INFORMATION...
FLOOD WATCH EXTENDED THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR VOLUSIA...BREVARD...
SEMINOLE...AND ORANGE COUNTIES.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO
COCOA BEACH.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT DESCRIBES ACTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN WITHIN VOLUSIA
AND BREVARD COUNTIES. INTERESTS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF EAST CENTRAL
FLORIDA SHOULD CONTINUE TO CHECK FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING
OPHELIA DUE TO UNCERTAINTY IN THE TRACK OF THE STORM.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES EAST OF
CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. OPHELIA IS MEANDERING OFFSHORE...BUT
ESSENTIALLY REMAINS STATIONARY. A NORTHWARD DRIFT IS EXPECTED DURING
THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS...MAKING OPHELIA A STRONG TROPICAL STORM. SLOW
STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO GRADUALLY INTENSIFY WHILE REMAINING JUST
OFFSHORE. SINCE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS ONLY 60 MILES OFFSHORE
BREVARD COUNTY AND THE OUTER RAINBANDS WITH HEAVY SQUALLS ARE WITHIN
20 MILES OF THE COAST...ANY WESTWARD DRIFT...EVEN FOR ONLY A FEW
HOURS...WOULD BRING HEAVY RAINS AND WINDS ABOVE 50 MPH TO THE COAST
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECAST AND DO
NOT LOWER YOUR GUARD. PERSONAL OR BUSINESS ACTION PLANS SHOULD BE
PUT IN EFFECT AND HURRICANE SUPPLY KITS SHOULD BE REPLENISHED.
PREPARATIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN
AND NEAR THE WARNING AREA. RESIDENTS OF BREVARD AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES
SHOULD SECURE OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT ARE LOOSE AND LIGHTWEIGHT. MOTORISTS
SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHEN TRAVELING ACROSS CAUSEWAYS...ESPECIALLY IN
HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
OPHELIA HAS BECOME A STRONG TROPICAL STORM WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
SOME FURTHER STRENGTHENING. OCCASIONAL TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND
GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH CONTINUE ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST BETWEEN
DAYTONA BEACH AND CAPE CANAVERAL. OCCASIONAL HEAVY SQUALLS WITH WIND
GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE VOLUSIA AND NORTH BREVARD
COASTLINE INTO FRIDAY. ANY WESTWARD DRIFT OF OPHELIA WILL BRING
WINDS GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH TO THE COAST AND WILL ALSO SPREAD STRONG
WINDS FARTHER INLAND ACROSS VOLUSIA AND NORTHERN BREVARD COUNTIES.
OUTSIDE THE WARNING AREA...WIND GUSTS WILL AVERAGE 20 TO 25 MPH...
WITH BRIEF GUSTS TO 35 MPH POSSIBLE IN PASSING SHOWERS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
DUE TO THE STRONG AND PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW WITHIN THE WARNING
AREA...ROUGH SURF AND BREAKING WAVES OF 6 TO 8 FEET WILL BATTER THE
BEACHES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL ALSO
OCCUR INTO THE WEEKEND. ENHANCED WAVE ACTION WILL RESULT IN
ADDITIONAL BEACH EROSION AROUND THE TIME OF EACH SUCCESSIVE HIGH TIDE
OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...POSSIBLY LEADING TO A MAJOR BEACH EROSION
EVENT. THE GREATEST IMPACTS WILL OCCUR FROM AROUND CAPE CANAVERAL
NORTHWARD THROUGH THE VOLUSIA COUNTY BEACHES...WHERE THE STRONGEST
NORTH FLOW AND POUNDING SURF WILL PERSIST.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT ARE URGED TO REMAIN IN PORT WITHIN AND NEAR THE WARNING
AREA. WINDS OF 35 TO 55 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS WILL BUILD SEAS
UPWARD TO 15 FEET OFFSHORE FROM COCOA BEACH NORTHWARD. MARINE
INTERESTS FROM COCOA BEACH SOUTH SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS AS SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT AND OCCASIONAL
STRONG SQUALLS WILL ALSO IMPACT PORTIONS OF THIS AREA. WINDS ARE
FORECAST TO 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS...ESPECIALLY OFFSHORE
FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO COCOA BEACH IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO OPHELIA.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH OUTER BANDS FROM OPHELIA WILL
CONTINUE TO ROTATE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS...ESPECIALLY FROM MELBOURNE NORTHWARD WHERE A MODERATE THREAT OF
FLOODING EXISTS. AVERAGE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM DELAND TO
ORLANDO TO MELBOURNE. ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR. A
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR VOLUSIA...SEMINOLE...ORANGE...AND
BREVARD COUNTIES. AREAS MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING WILL BE URBAN
AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...AS WELL AS LOW LYING AREAS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A VERY LOW THREAT FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO...MAINLY
NEAR THE COAST FROM CAPE CANAVERAL NORTHWARD.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 230 PM...OR SOONER IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THESE HURRICANE THREATS CAN BE VIEWED ON
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE WEB-PAGE AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MLB AND CLICKING ON OPHELIA LOCAL INFO.

$$

SPRATT

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