[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 122123
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-SCZ044-045-050-130100-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
523 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 5 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.8 NORTH... LONGITUDE 77.4 WEST OR ABOUT 165 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 3 MPH AND A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...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.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

WINDS IN BERKELEY AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES WILL BE NORTHERLY 15 TO
20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH THIS EVENING...EXCEPT 20 TO 25 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. WINDS NEAR THE
COAST ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55
MPH TONIGHT. FURTHER INLAND...WINDS WILL BECOME 20 TO 30 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 40 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN BERKELEY COUNTY.

FOR TUESDAY...WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST AT 35 TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 55 MPH ALONG THE COAST. FURTHER INLAND...NORTHWEST WINDS
WILL BE 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
BERKELEY COUNTY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO RUN 1 TO 2
FEET ABOVE PREDICTED VALUES OVERNIGHT. BASED ON THE CURRENT
TRACK...THE WINDS WILL BE OFFSHORE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH
TUESDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL EXIST THROUGH TUESDAY. DANGEROUS SURF
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED 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 OFFSHORE TONIGHT...THE BEACH EROSION
SHOULD BE MINOR TO MODERATE.

...TORNADOES...
THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE OF ISOLATED TORNADOES THROUGH TUESDAY AS THE
OUTER RAIN BANDS OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA ROTATE SOUTHWESTWARD
THROUGH CHARLESTON AND EASTERN BERKELEY COUNTIES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS NEAR 3
INCHES...ARE EXPECTED MAINLY ACROSS CHARLESTON COUNTY AND EASTERN
BERKELEY COUNTY. 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...WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON BY 9 PM.

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

$$




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