[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 111845
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-112200-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
240 PM EDT SUN SEP 11 2005

...OPHELIA IS NEARLY STATIONARY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 2 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.8 WEST...OR ABOUT 220 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 978 MB OR 28.88 INCHES.

OPHELIA IS NEARLY STATIONARY AND LITTLE MOTION IS EXPECTED
THROUGH TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 80 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
REMAINS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE CURRENT
FORECAST TAKES OPHELIA A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE CAPE FEAR AREA EARLY
IN THE WEEK BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL ON THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS
ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER...THE FORECAST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

...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 CONTINUE FROM THE NORTHEAST
NEAR 30 KT WITH GUSTS 40 TO 45 KT. A SLIGHT INCREASE IS EXPECTED
TONIGHT AND MONDAY...AND MAY APPROACH HURRICANE FORCE ON TUESDAY.
MARINERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO STAY IN PORT.

ACROSS PENDER...NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES...TONIGHT
SUSTAINED NORTH WINDS AROUND 20 MPH...WITH 30 TO 35 MPH GUSTS...WILL
CONTINUE...MAINLY IN SHOWERS AND ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. OVER
HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES...WINDS WILL NOT BE AS STRONG...AROUND
15 MPH WITH GUSTS 25 TO 30 MPH. WINDS WILL SIMILAR ON MONDAY. 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.

ALTHOUGH THE LATEST TRACK FORECAST 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 WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COUNTY
COAST TO BALD HEAD ISLAND...WITH REPORTS OF EROSION DROP OFFS FROM 3
TO 5 FEET ALONG THE BEACHES. ROUGH SURF HEIGHTS RANGING TO AROUND 10
FT...AND STRONG RIPS AND LONGSHORE CURRENTS WILL 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..AROUND 2 PM...MINOR
TIDAL FLOODING WAS OCCURRING IN FLOOD PRONE LOCATIONS NORTH OF CAPE
FEAR...SUCH AS CANAL DRIVE AT CAROLINA BEACH.

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

...RAINFALL...
RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA WERE MOVING ONSHORE ALONG THE
CAPE FEAR COAST THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ONLY LIGHT SHOWERS SO FAR.
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 4 INCHES OF RAIN MAY FALL. LOCATIONS
FARTHER WEST WILL HAVE 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 3 PM.

$$

TM






















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