[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 110704 CCA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-111030-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTED STORM INFO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
300 AM EDT SUN SEP 11 2005

...OPHELIA SLOWLY MEANDERING OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST...

...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 220 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA IS DRIFTING SLOWLY TOWARD THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AND LITTLE
MOTION IS EXPECTED TODAY.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 979 MB OR 28.91 INCHES.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 80 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.
SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH
CAROLINA TO SURF CITY NORTH CAROLINA.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...GEORGETOWN...HORRY...AND IN SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA...BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER...PENDER.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED NEAR 30 KT WITH
TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS. THESE WINDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A TIGHT
PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN OPHELIA AND A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO THE
NORTH. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
OVER THE WATERS TONIGHT...WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS POSSIBLE ON
TUESDAY.

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE
FORECAST TO REACH THE CAROLINA COAST MONDAY EVENING...AND SPREAD
INLAND WITH OPHELIA'S RAINBANDS MONDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE LATEST
TRACK FROM THE HURRICANE CENTER KEEPS THE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS JUST
OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...THE TRACK OF OPHELIA IS VERY MUCH IN
QUESTION AND THERE REMAINS A CHANCE THAT OPHELIA COULD MAKE LANDFALL
IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA OR NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AS A
CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS REPORTED FROM NEARSHORE BUOYS WERE 7 TO 8 FT...WHILE BUOYS
FURTHER OFF THE COAST REPORTED SEAS 12 TO 14 FT. AS OPHELIA MOVES
CLOSER...SEAS WILL BUILD AS HIGH AS 18 FEET. MARINERS ARE URGED TO
REMAIN IN PORT.

SWIMMERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERY ROUGH SURF...STRONG LONG SHORE
CURRENTS AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS...AND ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE
WATER.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
EROSION AT WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH...CAROLINA BEACH...AND KURE BEACH WAS
REPORTED SATURDAY WITH A 3 FOOT DROP IN PLACES. BEACH EROSION WILL
CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT DAY OR TWO...AS ROUGH SURF AND STRONG
LONGSHORE CURRENTS PERSIST.

WITH THE SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WIND...TIDE LEVELS ON EAST FACING
BEACHES ARE ABOUT A FOOT HIGHER THAN NORMAL...AND ARE EXPECTED TO BE
1 TO 2 FT ABOVE THE PREDICTED ASTRONOMICAL TIDE THROUGH SUNDAY.

AT THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE SATURDAY AFTERNOON...MINOR FLOODING WAS
REPORTED ALONG CANAL DRIVE IN CAROLINA BEACH. SIMILAR TIDAL FLOODING
WILL BE POSSIBLE AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

STORM SURGE IMPACTS WILL BE DEPENDENT ON WHEN AND WHERE THE EYE OF
OPHELIA MAKES LANDFALL.  IF OPHELIA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 1
HURRICANE...THE STORM SURGE NEAR THE EYE MAY BE AS HIGH AS 8
FEET...CAUSING COASTAL FLOODING.

...RAINFALL...
RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA WILL REMAIN OFFSHORE FOR MOST OF
TODAY. BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
IS EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE
COAST...WHERE UP TO 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN MAY FALL. LOCATIONS
FARTHER WEST MAY SEE CONSIDERABLY LESS RAINFALL. BECAUSE RIVERS ARE
LOW AND THE GROUND IS RELATIVELY DRY...WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FOR THE LATEST STORM AND PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION VISIT
WEATHER.GOV/ILM

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA AROUND 6 AM.

$$

RAS














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