[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 130105 CCA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099-100-101-SCZ024-033-034-046-
130400-

TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
905 PM EDT MON SEP 12 2005

...OUTER RAINBANDS REACHING THE COAST AS OPHELIA CONTINUES SLOWLY
NORTHWESTWARD...

...NEW 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 SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA OR ABOUT 145 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF MYRTLE BEACH. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 988 MB OR
29.18 INCHES.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 4 MPH AND A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RESTRENGTHEN INTO A HURRICANE  DURING THE NEXT
24 HOURS.

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 SUNSET BEACH
AND SURF CITY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

DUE TO THE ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF OPHELIA 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. A
FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR BLADEN...PENDER...COLUMBUS...
BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER AND HORRY COUNTIES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN
INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED FOR
ROBESON...BLADEN...COLUMBUS...DILLON AND MARION COUNTIES.

...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 TONIGHT. 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 LATE TONIGHT. 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 SUNSET BEACH 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 OPHELIA 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 TONIGHT. AT THE
TIME OF HIGH TIDE...3 AM TUESDAY...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
TONIGHT. THE EAST FACING BEACHES WILL BE MOST VULNERABLE...
ESPECIALLY ACROSS PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COUNTIES...AND BALD HEAD
ISLAND.

...RAINFALL...
OUTER RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA WILL OCCASIONALLY MOVE
ONSHORE TONIGHT ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTH AND NORTH
CAROLINA.

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS
EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. COASTAL SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA COULD SEE 4 TO 6 INCHES OF TOTAL RAINFALL...WITH
NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA 2 TO 5 INCHES. LOCATIONS FARTHER INLAND
WILL HAVE CONSIDERABLY LESS RAINFALL. BECAUSE RIVERS ARE LOW AND THE
GROUND IS RELATIVELY DRY...WIDESPREAD RIVER FLOODING IS NOT PROBABLE
AT THIS TIME...BUT A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO PREPARE FOR THE
STORM. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY NOW. FOR THE LATEST STORM
AND PREPAREDNESS 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 MIDNIGHT.

$$

MAC







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