[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 140634 AAA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-099>101-SCZ034-046-140930-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
230 AM EDT WED SEP 14 2005

...OPHELIA NEARLY STATIONARY WITH STRONG RAINBANDS JUST OFFSHORE...

...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.9 WEST OR ABOUT 100 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. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

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

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES.

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.

SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS...REACHING THE IMMEDIATE COAST AROUND DAYBREAK THEN SPREAD
FARTHER INLAND LATER TODAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE CURRENTLY
AFFECTING THE COASTAL WATERS SOUTH AND EAST OF BALD HEAD ISLAND.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE COASTAL WATERS OFF THE NEW
HANOVER COAST FROM MID MORNING INTO THIS EVENING.

...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.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BLADEN AND
COLUMBUS.

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...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS...REACHING THE IMMEDIATE COAST AROUND DAYBREAK THEN SPREAD
FARTHER INLAND LATER TODAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE CURRENTLY
AFFECTING THE COASTAL WATERS SOUTH AND EAST OF BALD HEAD ISLAND.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT THE COASTAL WATERS OFF THE NEW
HANOVER COAST FROM MID MORNING INTO THIS EVENING.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS OF 10 TO 15 FEET ARE OCCURRING ACROSS MUCH OF THE COASTAL
WATERS. SEAS WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE STORM WILL BE 15 TO 20
FEET WITH ISOLATED AREAS OF SEAS OVER 20 FT. MARINERS ARE URGED TO
REMAIN IN PORT.

THE AGITATED SEAS STATE WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS SEA CONDITIONS AT THE
BEACHES...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.
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 THIS MORNING...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
TODAY AS OPHELIA PASSES TO THE EAST. ALONG THE SOUTH FACING BEACHES
OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY...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 TODAY...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
TODAY. 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...
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.

$$


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