[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 121229
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-SCZ044-045-050-121630-

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

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM
NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH...

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

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.4 NORTH... LONGITUDE 76.8 WEST OR ABOUT 215 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 NEARLY STATIONARY AND IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE NORTHWEST LATER TODAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS ALONG AND NEAR THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST NORTH OF EDISTO
BEACH SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SLOW MOVING AND ERRATIC
HURRICANE. CITIZENS IN AND NEAR THE COASTAL COUNTIES SHOULD 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. BASED ON THE CURRENT TRACK...
THE WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 KT WITH GUSTS TO 50 KT TONIGHT
AND TUESDAY. SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

WINDS IN BERKELEY AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES WILL BE 15 TO 25 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. THE WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO NEAR 35 MPH BY THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE
NIGHT. FURTHER INLAND...WINDS WILL BE 10 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO SEE A DEPARTURE OF 1 TO 2
FEET ABOVE NORMAL TODAY INTO TONIGHT. BASED ON THE CURRENT
TRACK...THE WINDS WILL BECOME OFFSHORE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH
TUESDAY. SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS
EVENING. OTHERWISE...NO SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL EXIST THROUGH TONIGHT. DANGEROUS
SURF CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY. PEOPLE 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 BECOME MAINLY OFFSHORE BY TONIGHT...THE BEACH
EROSION SHOULD BE MINOR TO MODERATE.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE AROUND 1 INCH IN
CHARLESTON AND BERKELEY COUNTIES. AREAS FURTHER WEST AND NORTHWEST
WILL RECEIVE LITTLE IF ANY RAINFALL. IF OPHELIA TRACKS FURTHER TO
THE WEST...RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD INCREASE. WITH ALL RIVERS WELL
WITHIN THEIR BANKS AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXPECTED TO BE LIGHTER
THAN MOST HURRICANES...FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON BY 12 PM.

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

$$




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