[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 130319 CCA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099-100-101-SCZ024-033-034-046-
130730-

TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1115 PM EDT MON SEP 12 2005

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

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE WARNINGS NOW POSTED FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER IN SOUTH
CAROLINA TO SURF CITY IN NORTH CAROLINA.

AT 11 PM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.9 WEST...OR ABOUT 155 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA OR ABOUT 140 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF MYRTLE BEACH. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 990 MB OR
29.23 INCHES.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH. A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH 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...
HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE NOW POSTED FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER IN SOUTH
CAROLINA TO SURF CITY IN NORTH CAROLINA. AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM
WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR ROBESON...BLADEN...COLUMBUS...DILLON
AND MARION COUNTIES. A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR BLADEN...
PENDER...COLUMBUS...BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER AND HORRY COUNTIES
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...GEORGETOWN...HORRY...MARION AND DILLON
AND IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER...
PENDER...COLUMBUS...BLADEN AND ROBESON.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT...WILL
CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OVERNIGHT. ALONG THE IMMEDIATE
COAST...PENDER...NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES WILL OBSERVE
SUSTAINED NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 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 OVERSPREAD THE COASTAL WATERS OVERNIGHT...REACHING THE
IMMEDIATE COAST IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. 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. 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 OVERNIGHT. 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
OVERNIGHT. THE EAST FACING BEACHES WILL BE MOST VULNERABLE...
ESPECIALLY ACROSS PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COUNTIES...AND BALD HEAD
ISLAND. STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

...RAINFALL...
OUTER RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA WILL OCCASIONALLY MOVE
ONSHORE TONIGHT ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTH AND NORTH
CAROLINA. SOME OF THE RAIN BANDS MAY ACTUALLY MOVE IN TO THE INLAND
COUNTIES AS WELL. THESE BANDS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP TO 2
INCHES OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

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
ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 8 INCHES. NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA 2 TO 5
INCHES. LOCATIONS FARTHER INLAND WILL HAVE CONSIDERABLY LESS
RAINFALL.

...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 330 AM.

$$

MAC









This weather bulletin was brought to you by:
www.nashvilleweather.net