[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 131036 CCA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099-100-101-SCZ024-032>034-039-046-
131700-

TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO HEADLINE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
622 AM EDT TUE SEP 13 2005

...OPHELIA NEARLY STATIONARY WITH NORTHERLY TRACK TO RESUME TODAY...

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER IN SOUTH
CAROLINA TO SURF CITY IN NORTH CAROLINA.

INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN RAISED FOR BLADEN AND
COLUMBUS COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...AND WILLIAMSBURG...
MARION AND FLORENCE OF NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

AT 5 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.0 WEST...OR ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH
OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA OR ABOUT 125 MILES  SOUTHEAST OF
MYRTLE BEACH. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 992 MB OR
29.29 INCHES.

OPHELIA IS CURRENTLY STATIONARY...WITH A SLOW NORTHWEST COURSE IS
EXPECTED LATER THIS MORNING...AND A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH WITHIN
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 50 TO 60 MILES EAST OF
HORRY COUNTY BY WEDNESDAY MORNING...AND WITHIN 25 MILES OF THE CAPE
FEAR REGION AT ITS CLOSEST APPROACH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
THIS SLIGHT WESTWARD REFINEMENT WITH OPHELIAS TRACK WILL BRING
POSSIBLE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TO THE COASTAL WATERS OFF OF
NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. FOR EASTERN
BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTIES...THE HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS COULD BEGIN OVERSPREADING THE AREA BY DAYLIGHT WEDNESDAY
MORNING.

DUE TO THE ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF OPHELIAS MOVEMENT...THE OFFICIAL
FORECAST TRACK WILL CONTINUE TO BE REFINED THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
HURRICANE WARNINGS EXTEND FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER IN SOUTH CAROLINA
TO SURF CITY IN NORTH CAROLINA.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN RAISED FOR BLADEN...
COLUMBUS...MARION...FLORENCE AND WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES.
AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR ROBESON AND
DILLON 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...DILLON
FLORENCE AND WILLIAMSBURG. AND IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...
BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER...PENDER...COLUMBUS...BLADEN AND ROBESON.

...WIND IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE LATEST TRACK...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL OVERSPREAD THE COASTAL WATERS MIDDAY TODAY...REACHING THE
IMMEDIATE COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. SUSTAINED 55 MPH WINDS WILL
POTENTIALLY BE FELT ALONG COASTAL SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA LATE
TUESDAY NIGHT. POTENTIAL HURRICANE FORCE WINDS COULD AFFECT THE
IMMEDIATE COAST AND ADJACENT WATERS BETWEEN HOLDEN BEACH AND SURF
CITY BY DAYLIGHT WEDNESDAY.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL COMBINE WITH LOCALLY DRIVEN WIND WAVES TO
PRODUCE SEAS IN THE 10 TO 15 FEET ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS. AT
OPHELIAS CLOSEST APPROACH LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...SEAS WILL
FURTHER BUILD TO 15 TO 18 FEET. MARINERS ARE URGED TO REMAIN IN PORT.

THE LARGE SURF COMBINED WITH THE STRONG WINDS...WILL CREATE STRONG
LONG SHORE CURRENTS AND 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 TODAY. WATER LEVELS FROM
CAPE FEAR NORTHWARD...COULD RISE TO 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY DURING OPHELIAS CLOSEST APPROACH. DURING THE
NEXT HIGH TIDE...AROUND 3 PM TODAY...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...
BUILDING SURF CONDITIONS WILL AFFECT THE COAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
WITH 7 TO 10 FOOT BREAKERS NORTH OF CAPE FEAR...AND 4 TO 8 FEET
SOUTH OF THE CAPE.

MODERATE TO MAJOR BEACH EROSION WILL CONTINUE ACROSS AREA BEACHES
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE EAST FACING BEACHES WILL BE MOST VULNERABLE
...MAINLY ACROSS PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COUNTIES...AND BALD HEAD
ISLAND. BEACHES SOUTH OF CAPE FEAR...WILL SEE A NORTHERLY PREVAILING
WIND. THIS WILL AID IN KNOCKING DOWN THE SURF...ENOUGH TO KEEP
EROSION IN THE SLIGHT TO MODERATE CATEGORIES.

...RAINFALL...
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. COASTAL
SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA COULD SEE WIDESPREAD 5 TO 9
INCHES OF TOTAL RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS. RAINFALL
TOTALS ACROSS COASTAL NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA COULD SEE 2 TO 6
INCHES. LOCATIONS FARTHER INLAND...ESPECIALLY WEST OF I-95...WILL
RECEIVE CONSIDERABLY LESS RAINFALL.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE COMPLETING THEIR PREPARATIONS
EARLY TODAY. 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 NOON WEDNESDAY.

$$

HOEHLER




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