[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 111245
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-111600-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
840 AM EDT SUN SEP 11 2005

...OPHELIA STILL NEARLY STATIONARY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 220 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA IS STATIONARY AND LITTLE MOTION IS EXPECTED TODAY.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 979 MB OR 28.91 INCHES.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 85 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
REMAINS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE CURRENT
FORECAST TAKES OPHELIA TO THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS ON
WEDNESDAY.

...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...
SUSTAINED WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS REMAIN 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...AND WILL APPROACH HURRICANE FORCE ON
TUESDAY.

ACROSS PENDER...NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES...SUSTAINED NORTH
WINDS AROUND 20 MPH...WITH 30 TO 35 MPH GUSTS...ARE EXPECTED TODAY.
OVER HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES...WINDS WILL NOT BE AS
STRONG...AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS 25 TO 30 MPH. BASED ON THE CURRENT
FORECAST TRACK...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO REACH
THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST MONDAY EVENING...AND SPREAD INTO SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE NIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.
ALTHOUGH THE LATEST TRACK FROM THE HURRICANE CENTER KEEPS THE
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OFF THE CAPE FEAR COAST...THE TRACK OF
OPHELIA IS STILL 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 AROUND 6 FT...WHILE BUOYS
FURTHER OFF THE COAST REPORTED SEAS UP TO 14 FT. AS OPHELIA MOVES
CLOSER...SEAS IN THE COASTAL WATERS WILL BUILD AS HIGH AS 16 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...
BEACH EROSION ALONG THE PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COAST WAS REPORTED...
WITH A 2 TO 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...WATER LEVELS NORTH OF CAPE FEAR
ARE 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED ASTRONOMICAL TIDES...AND WILL REMAIN
SO THROUGH TONIGHT. AT THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON...MINOR TIDAL FLOODING MAY AFFECT MORE OF THE TYPICALLY
FLOOD PRONE LOCATIONS THIS AFTERNOON NORTH OF CAPE FEAR.

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK WHICH KEEPS THE CENTER OF
OPHELIA EAST OF THE AREA...ADDITIONAL STORM SURGE IMPACTS WOULD BE
MINIMAL.

...RAINFALL...
RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA WILL REMAIN OFFSHORE FOR MUCH OF
TODAY. BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
IS EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY IN COASTAL SECTIONS OF
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...WHERE 1 TO 3 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 12 NOON.

$$

TM


















This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net