[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 120656
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-SCZ044-045-050-121030-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
256 AM EDT MON SEP 12 2005

...HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH TO
SOUTH SANTEE RIVER...


...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY
ALL PERSONS IN BERKELEY...DORCHESTER AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES AND
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
...HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH TO
SOUTH SANTEE RIVER...

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 76.6 WEST OR ABOUT 210 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE NEAR 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN
STRENGTH IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT TWENTY FOUR HOURS.

OPHELIA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 5 MPH AND IS EXPECTED TO
MAKE A GRADUAL TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST LATER TODAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH
SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST HURRICANE ADVISORIES AND
HEED THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
CURRENT WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
ARE 20 TO 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT. THE WINDS WILL INCREASE
TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 45 KT TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. BASED ON THE
CURRENT TRACK...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL APPROACH
THE COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

INLAND WINDS...10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED
TODAY. INLAND WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 MPH TONIGHT WITH
GUSTS TO NEAR 35 MPH AND CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THE
STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN CHARLESTON AND BERKELEY COUNTIES.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO SEE A DEPARTURE OF 1 TO 2
FEET ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH TUESDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE
IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED BASED ON THE CURRENT TRACK.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL EXIST THROUGH TONIGHT. DANGEROUS
SURF CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SURFERS ARE
URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER. SEAS IN THE COASTAL WATERS WILL
INCREASE TO 7 TO 12 FEET TODAY THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY...WITH A FEW
AREAS GETTING UP TO 14 FEET.

THE BEACHES ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST WERE BATTERED DURING
THE PAST WEEK WITH STRONG WINDS THAT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT EROSION.
WINDS FROM OPHELIA WILL LIKELY CAUSE ADDITIONAL EROSION. WITH THE
WINDS EXPECTED TO BE MAINLY OFFSHORE...THE BEACH EROSION SHOULD BE
MINOR TO MODERATE.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE
LIGHTER THAN MOST HURRICANES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY BE
AN INCH OR LESS OVER CHARLESTON AND BERKELEY COUNTIES. AREAS
FURTHER WEST AND NORTHWEST WILL RECEIVE LITTLE IF ANY RAINFALL.
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE NEAR AND EAST OF THE CENTER
OF THE STORM. AT THE PRESENT TIME... FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON BY 630 AM.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OPHELIA CAN BE FOUND IN ADVISORIES ISSUED
BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.


$$


JH

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