[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 120323
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-120800-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1123 PM EDT SUN SEP 11 2005

...OPHELIA TEMPORARILY MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST...

...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 11 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.4 WEST...OR ABOUT 230 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 981 MB OR 28.97 INCHES.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH. A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE WEST AND WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED ON MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING 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 TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN 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 NORTHEAST WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS BETWEEN 20 AND 30
KTS CONTINUE WITH GUSTS 35 TO 40 KTS. A SLIGHT INCREASE IS EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY...AND MAY APPROACH HURRICANE FORCE ON TUESDAY.

ACROSS PENDER...NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES...SUSTAINED NORTH
TO NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS AROUND 30
MPH...CONTINUE. LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE
COASTAL COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. OVER HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES...
WINDS WILL NOT BE AS STRONG...AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 25
MPH. SIMILAR WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON MONDAY.

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE
FORECAST TO REACH THE NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA COAST AND THE NORTH
CAROLINA COAST LATE MONDAY EVENING...AND SPREAD INTO SOUTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA DURING THE NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY INTO
LATE 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 7 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. REPORTS OF EROSION DROP OFFS RANGE FROM 3
TO 5 FEET ALONG THE EAST FACING BEACHES.

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 AM MONDAY
...MINOR TIDAL FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE LOCATIONS NORTH OF CAPE
FEAR...SUCH AS CANAL DRIVE AT CAROLINA BEACH...CAN BE EXPECTED.

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

...RAINFALL...
RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA WERE MOVING ONSHORE ALONG THE
CAPE FEAR COAST AND WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. BASED ON THE CURRENT
FORECAST TRACK...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT
INTO WEDNESDAY 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 AM.

$$

MAC



























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