[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 121830
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-SCZ044-045-050-122200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
230 PM EDT MON SEP 12 2005

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM
NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH TO THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER...

...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 TO THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.8 NORTH... LONGITUDE 77.3 WEST OR ABOUT 175 MILES
EAST SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA MAY REGAIN
HURRICANE STATUS OVERNIGHT.

OPHELIA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 4 MPH AND A GENERAL
NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.

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

WINDS IN BERKELEY AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES WILL BE 15 TO 20 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH...EXCEPT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 35
MPH ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. BY TONIGHT...WINDS NEAR THE COAST ARE
EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.
FURTHER INLAND...WINDS WILL BE 10 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS
THROUGH TONIGHT.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO SEE A DEPARTURE OF 1 TO 2
FEET ABOVE PREDICTED VALUES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. BASED ON
THE CURRENT TRACK...THE WINDS WILL BECOME OFFSHORE TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY. SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE
POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AT THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE...WHICH IS AROUND
33O PM IN THE CHARLESTON HARBOR. 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 INTO TUESDAY AND THEREFORE PEOPLE
ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER. SEAS IN THE COASTAL WATERS OUT
TO 20 NM WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO 7 TO 12 FEET 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 BUT 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. HOWEVER...IF OPHELIA TRACKS
FURTHER TO THE WEST...RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD INCREASE. WITH ALL
RIVERS WELL WITHIN THEIR BANKS AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXPECTED TO BE
LESS THAN MOST HURRICANES...FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON BY 6 PM.

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

$$




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