[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 131258
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-370-374-SCZ044-045-050-131630-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
900 AM EDT TUE SEP 13 2005

...TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WOBBLING SLOWLY NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD THIS
MORNING...

...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.

A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR BERKELEY...CHARLESTON AND
DORCHESTER COUNTIES THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 32.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.8 WEST OR ABOUT 140 MILES
EAST SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS WERE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS
EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND OPHELIA MAY REGAIN HURRICANE
STATUS LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AT 4 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTH EXPECTED TONIGHT OR ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER...
STEERING CURRENTS REMAIN WEAK...SO SOME ERRATIC MOTION WILL BE
POSSIBLE.

...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 RANGE FROM 30 TO 40 KNOTS WITH GUSTS 50 KNOTS.

BASED ON THE CURRENT TRACK...THE WINDS IN THE COASTAL WATERS WITHIN
20 NM WILL INCREASE TO 40 TO 50 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 65 KNOTS
LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. MARINERS SHOULD REMAIN IN
PORT.

WINDS IN BERKELEY AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES WILL BE NORTHERLY 25 TO
35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH...EXCEPT 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55
MPH ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. FURTHER INLAND...WINDS WILL BE 15
TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH.

WITH STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OVER LAKE MOULTRIE...BEACH EROSION IS
POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTHERN BEACH AREA. DAMAGE TO DOCKS WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONG WINDS TODAY AND TONIGHT.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDAL DEPARTURES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING AROUND 1.5 FEET ABOVE
EXPECTED ASTRONOMICAL VALUES. BASED ON THE CURRENT TRACK...NORTH
WINDS SHOULD BECOME NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL RESULT IN A
MORE SIGNIFICANT OFFSHORE COMPONENT WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN A
DECREASE IN TIDAL DEPARTURES. IF THE TIDAL DEPARTURES DO NOT
DECREASE...SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE AROUND THE TIME
OF HIGH TIDE LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE EXPECTED PATH OF THE
OPHELIA...STORM SURGE IMPACTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANT.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL EXIST THROUGH TONIGHT. DANGEROUS
SURF CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT AND THEREFORE PEOPLE ARE
URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER. SEAS IN THE COASTAL WATERS OUT TO 20
NM WILL BE IN THE TO 7 TO 12 FOOT RANGE THROUGH TONIGHT. BEYOND 20
NM...SEAS WILL APPROACH 18 FT.

WITH MOSTLY NORTH WINDS THIS MORNING...MINOR TO MODERATE BEACH
EROSION IS POSSIBLE. THE WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST THIS
AFTERNOON WITH AN OFFSHORE COMPONENT...WHICH WILL LESSEN
ADDITIONAL BEACH EROSION.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE EXPECTED RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH OPHELIA...HAS PROMPTED A FLOOD
WATCH FOR BERKELEY...DORCHESTER...AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THESE AREAS WILL AVERAGE 1
TO 3 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE.
AREAS FURTHER WEST AND NORTHWEST WILL RECEIVE LESSER AMOUNTS.
HOWEVER...IF OPHELIA TRACKS FURTHER TO THE WEST...RAINFALL AMOUNTS
COULD INCREASE. WITH ALL RIVERS WELL WITHIN THEIR BANKS...WIDESPREAD
FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON BY 1230 PM.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OPHELIA CAN BE FOUND IN ADVISORIES ISSUED
BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...AS WELL AS PUBLIC INFORMATION
STATEMENTS AND SHORT TERM FORECASTS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

$$

MTE/ST




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