[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 121556 CCA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-122100-

TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1155 AM EDT MON SEP 12 2005

...OPHELIA WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM...

...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.8 WEST...OR ABOUT 190 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA OR ABOUT 190 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
MYRTLE BEACH. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 989 MB OR
29.20 INCHES.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 2 MPH AND THE VERY SLOW
NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
HAS SLIGHTLY WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL STORM BUT IT IS FORECAST TO
AGAIN INTENSIFY TO A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE TUESDAY MORNING.

THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK TAKES THE CENTER OF OPHELIA JUST EAST OF
THE CAPE FEAR REGION EARLY WEDNESDAY AT ITS CLOSEST APPROACH....
BEFORE POTENTIALLY MAKING LANDFALL IN THE CAPE LOOKOUT VICINITY
LATER THAT DAY. THIS TRAJECTORY WOULD BRING THE SUSTAINED HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS ALONG THE EAST FACING BEACHES BETWEEN CAPE FEAR AND
SURF CITY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

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 AROUND 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT...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 A FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH.
ACROSS HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES...NORTHERLY WINDS WILL RUN 15
TO 25 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH.

BASED ON THE LATEST TRACK...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL POTENTIALLY ENGULF THE COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT...REACHING THE
IMMEDIATE COAST DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF TUESDAY. SUSTAINED
55 MPH WINDS WILL POTENTIALLY BE FELT ALONG COASTAL SOUTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WITH HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE BEACHES BETWEEN SOUTHPORT AND SURF CITY.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
LONG PERIOD SEAS OF 10 TO 14 FEET CONTINUE ACROSS THE COASTAL
WATERS...MAINLY FROM CAPE FEAR NORTH. FARTHER SOUTH...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 FLOOD 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 THIS AFTERNOON...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...
EVERY HOUSEHOLD SHOULD HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION WHEN A HURRICANE OR
TROPICAL STORM THREATENS. WHEN MAKING YOUR PLAN...CONSIDER WHETHER
YOU SHOULD LEAVE OR STAY IF A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED. FOLLOW
THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OTHER GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS. FOR THE LATEST STORM 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.

$$

HAWKINS





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