[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 121005
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-121600-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
602 AM EDT MON SEP 12 2005

...OPHELIA DRIFTING WEST WILL VEER TO THE NORTHWEST LATER TODAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 5 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 212 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE WAS 985 MB OR 29.09 INCHES.

OPHELIA IS SLOWLY MOVING WEST AT 3 MPH...WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE
NORTHWEST EXPECTED LATER TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
REMAINS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE WITH
LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK TAKES THE EYE OR CENTER OF OPHELIA JUST
EAST OF THE CAPE FEAR REGION DURING WEDNESDAY AT ITS CLOSEST
APPROACH....BEFORE POTENTIALLY MAKING LANDFALL IN THE CAPE LOOKOUT
VICINITY LATER THAT DAY. THIS TRAJECTORY WILL RESULT IN THE
SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS STAYING OVER THE COASTAL AND
OFFSHORE WATERS.

DUE TO THE ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF OPHELIAS MOVEMENT...THE OFFICIAL
FORECAST TRACK WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUBJECT TO CHANGES.

...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 OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS
TO 50 MPH...WILL CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY. ALONG THE
IMMEDIATE COAST...PENDER...NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES WILL
OBSERVE SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH...WITH FEW GUSTS
AROUND 35 MPH. ACROSS HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES...NORTHERLY
WINDS WILL RUN 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH.

BASED ON THE LATEST TRACK...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL POTENTIALLY ENGULF THE COASTAL WATERS MONDAY NIGHT...REACHING
THE IMMEDIATE COAST DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF TUESDAY. THE
SUSTAINED 55 MPH WINDS WILL POTENTIALLY BE FELT ALONG COASTAL
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WITH
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS REMAINING JUST OFF THE COAST. A WESTWARD
DEVIATION IN OPHELIAS TRACK COULD EASILY BRING THESE STRONGER WINDS
ONSHORE.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
LONG PERIOD SEAS OF 10 TO 13 FEET CONTINUE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS
...MAINLY NORTH OF CAPE FEAR. FROM CAPE FEAR SOUTHWARD...SEAS ARE IN
THE 6 TO 10 FOOT RANGE. AT OPHELIAS CLOSEST APPROACH LATE TUESDAY
INTO WEDNESDAY...SEAS WILL FURTHER BUILD TO 18 FEET...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS THE WATERS WHERE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA PASSES NEARBY.
MARINERS ARE URGED TO REMAIN IN PORT.

ACCOMPANYING THE VERY ROUGH AND LARGE SURF WILL BE STRONG LONG SHORE
CURRENTS AND STRONG RIP CURRENTS. AS A RESULT...PEOPLE ARE URGED
TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WATER LEVELS ALONG THE ENTIRE STRETCH OF COASTLINE WILL RUN 1 TO 2
FEET ABOVE PREDICTED ASTRONOMICAL TIDES DURING TODAY. AT THE TIME OF
HIGH TIDE...AROUND 2 PM MONDAY...MINOR TIDAL FLOODING ACROSS FLOOD
PRONE LOCATIONS CAN BE EXPECTED. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE NORTH END
OF CAROLINA BEACH...AND ROADWAYS BORDERING MARSHES AND SOUNDS.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION IMPACTS...
MODERATE BEACH EROSION WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT ALONG AREA BEACHES
TODAY. THE EAST FACING BEACHES WILL BE MOST VULNERABLE...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COUNTIES...AND BALD HEAD ISLAND.

CONTINUED BUILDING SURF CONDITIONS TODAY ON TOP OF HIGHER THAN
NORMAL TIDE LEVELS WILL INCREASE THE BEACH EROSION PROCESS. SURF
CONDITIONS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 5 TO 8 FEET TODAY NORTH OF CAPE
FEAR...WITH SURF 3 TO 6 FEET SOUTH OF THE CAPE.

...RAINFALL...
OUTER RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA WILL OCCASIONALLY MOVE
ONSHORE TODAY...MAINLY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST FROM CAPE FEAR TO
SURF CITY. OPHELIAS SOLID RAIN BANDS WILL LURK JUST SOUTH AND EAST
OF THE COASTLINE TODAY...POSSIBLY REACHING THE FRYING PAN SHOALS
BUOY LOCATED 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAPE FEAR.

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS
EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. COASTAL SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA COULD SEE 2 TO 4 INCHES OF TOTAL RAINFALL...WITH
NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA SLIGHTLY LESS. LOCATIONS FARTHER INLAND
WILL HAVE CONSIDERABLY LESS RAINFALL. BECAUSE RIVERS ARE LOW AND THE
GROUND IS RELATIVELY DRY...WIDESPREAD RIVER FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED
AT THIS TIME.

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

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA AROUND 9 AM.

$$

HOEHLER

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