[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 140353 AAA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-099>101-SCZ032>034-039-046-140730-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1153 PM EDT TUE SEP 13 2005

...INLAND WARNINGS CANCELLED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN SOUTH
CAROLINA...
...OPHELIA NEARLY STATIONARY WITH STRONG RAINBANDS JUST OFFSHORE...

...NEW INFORMATION...
INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR THREE
COUNTIES IN NORTHEASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA: FLORENCE...MARION...AND
WILLIAMSBURG. THE NEWEST PROJECTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER DO NOT BRING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS INTO THESE COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.0 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES SOUTH
OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 80 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MYRTLE
BEACH. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 982 MB OR 29.00
INCHES.

OPHELIA HAS BEEN STATIONARY FOR THE PAST FEW HOURS...HOWEVER...A
SLOW NORTHWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO RESUME OVERNIGHT.
HOWEVER...STEERING CURRENTS REMAIN WEAK...AND AN ERRATIC MOTION IS
LIKELY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.  SOME
INCREASE IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  50 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES.  BECAUSE OF THE SLOW MOTION OF THE HURRICANE AND THE
RELATIVELY LARGE EXTENT OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...THE HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS WILL REACH THE COAST WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE CENTER.

THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK TAKES THE BROAD CENTER OF OPHELIA WITHIN
25 TO 30 MILES OF THE CAPE FEAR COAST AT ITS CLOSEST APPROACH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
HURRICANE WARNINGS EXTEND FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER IN SOUTH CAROLINA
TO SURF CITY IN NORTH CAROLINA...AND INCLUDE THE COUNTIES OF
GEORGETOWN...HORRY...BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER AND PENDER.

A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR BLADEN...PENDER...COLUMBUS...
BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER AND HORRY COUNTIES THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON.

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

...WIND IMPACTS...
BASED ON THE LATEST TRACK...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OVER LONG BAY...AND WILL REACH THE
IMMEDIATE COAST AROUND MIDNIGHT...THEN SPREAD FARTHER INLAND WELL
AFTER MIDNIGHT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE COASTAL WATERS
OF LONG BAY...OR AREAS SOUTH OF CAPE FEAR AFTER MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUE
INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE
COASTAL WATERS OF ONSLOW BAY NORTH OF CAPE FEAR FROM MID WEDNESDAY
MORNING INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL COMBINE WITH LOCALLY DRIVEN WIND WAVES TO
PRODUCE SEAS OF 11 TO 17 FEET ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS. AT OPHELIAS
CLOSEST APPROACH LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...SEAS WILL FURTHER
BUILD TO 13 TO 20 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 NEW HANOVER...PENDER...HORRY AND GEORGETOWN
COUNTIES WILL RUN 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED ASTRONOMICAL TIDES
TONIGHT. ALONG THE SOUTH FACING BEACHES OF BRUNSWICK THE TIDES ARE
RUNNING 2 TO 2.5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL.

DURING THE NEXT HIGH TIDE...AROUND 430 AM WEDNESDAY...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.

STORM SURGE FROM CAPE FEAR NORTHWARD...COULD RISE TO 5 TO 6 FEET
WEDNESDAY DURING OPHELIAS CLOSEST APPROACH. IN BRUNSWICK ALONG THE
SOUTH FACING BEACHES THE SURGE WILL BE 3 TO 4 FEET AND ALONG THE
EAST SIDE OF BALD HEAD ISLAND BETWEEN 6 AND 6.5 FEET.

FOR THE LATEST STORM AND FLOOD INFORMATION VISIT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC AT WEATHER.GOV/ILM

...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 10
INCHES OF TOTAL RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS. RAINFALL
TOTALS ACROSS COASTAL NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA COULD SEE 4 TO 8
INCHES. LOCATIONS FARTHER INLAND...ESPECIALLY WEST OF I-95...WILL
RECEIVE CONSIDERABLY LESS RAINFALL.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...MAINLY ACROSS COASTAL
AREAS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA AROUND 330 AM.

$$

TRA

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