[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMLB 081830
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
082200-

TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT...RETRANSMISSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
220 PM EDT THU SEP 8 2005

...TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA STILL STATIONARY EAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL
AND GRADUALLY STRENGTHENING...

...OUTER RAINBANDS WITH 50 MPH WINDS REMAINING 20 MILES OFFSHORE...

...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 200 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.5 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES EAST OF
CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. OPHELIA REMAINS ESSENTIALLY STATIONARY AND
LITTLE MOTION IS EXPECTED TODAY. A NORTHWARD MOVEMENT IS EXPECTED
TO RESUME FRIDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR
65 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS...MAKING OPHELIA A STRONG TROPICAL STORM.
SLOW STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST AND OPHELIA MAY BECOME A HURRICANE
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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 OF 35 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 SEBASTIAN INLET NORTHWARD. MARINE
INTERESTS FROM SEBASTIAN INLET 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.
SOUTH OF SEBASTIAN INLET...20 TO 30 KNOT WINDS ARE FORECAST...WITH
GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS...ESPECIALLY WELL OFFSHORE.

...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...
MAINLY NEAR THE COAST. AREAS MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING WILL BE
URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...AS WELL AS LOW LYING AREAS. A FLOOD
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR VOLUSIA...SEMINOLE...ORANGE...AND BREVARD
COUNTIES.

...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 530 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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