[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 131841
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-370-374-SCZ044-045-050-132230-

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

...TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA CONTINUING SLOWLY NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD...

...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 A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH TO THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR BERKELEY...CHARLESTON AND DORCHESTER
COUNTIES THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 32.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.0 WEST OR ABOUT 120 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 THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT.

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

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PEOPLE ALONG AND NEAR THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH
SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SLOW MOVING AND ERRATIC TROPICAL
STORM. PEOPLE IN AND NEAR THE COASTAL COUNTIES SHOULD HEED THE
ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL WATERS WITHIN 40 NM OF THE
SOUTH CAROLINA COAST FROM EDISTO BEACH TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SHOULD
CONTINUE IN THE RANGE OF 35 TO 45 KNOTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 KNOTS
THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. FARTHER SOUTH OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE
SOUTH CAROLINA WATERS AS WELL AS THE GEORGIA WATERS 20 TO 60 MILES
OFFSHORE...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FROM 25 TO 35 KNOTS WITH GUSTS
UP TO 50 KNOTS WELL INTO THE EVENING HOURS. MARINERS SHOULD REMAIN
IN PORT.

WITHIN RAIN BANDS...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 WELL INTO THE EVENING
HOURS. FURTHER INLAND AND OUTSIDE OF RAIN BANDS...WINDS WILL BE LESS.

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 THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
TIDAL DEPARTURES ARE NOW RUNNING AROUND A HALF A FOOT ABOVE EXPECTED
ASTRONOMICAL VALUES. EVEN THOUGH THESE VALUES HAVE DROPPED SOME
DURING THE DAY...IF HEAVY RAIN OCCURS AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE
SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN DOWNTOWN
CHARLESTON. BASED ON 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.

AS WINDS BECOME NORTHWEST LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS
EVENING...ANY ADDITIONAL BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED TO BE MINOR.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
A FLOOD WATCH FOR BERKELEY...DORCHESTER...AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES IS
IN EFFECT 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 SOUTHWEST 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 630 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

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