[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 130041
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-370-374-SCZ044-045-050-130445-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
841 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 8 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 77.6 WEST OR ABOUT 160 MILES
EAST SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA MAY REGAIN
HURRICANE STATUS OVERNIGHT OR TUESDAY.

OPHELIA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 4 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 WITHIN 20 NM OFF THE SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST ARE 20 TO 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS. WINDS
FURTHER OFFSHORE ARE IN THE 30 TO 40 KNOTS RANGE WITH GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS.

BASED ON THE CURRENT TRACK... THE WINDS IN THE COASTAL WATERS
WITHIN 20 NM WILL INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 50
KNOTS 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 INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.

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.

...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 AND TUESDAY...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 SOUTHWEST 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 NORTHERN 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 TROPICAL SYSTEMS...WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT
ANTICIPATED.

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

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

$$




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