[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMHX 141028
HLSMHX

AMZ130-135-150-152-154-156-158-NCZ045>047-080-081-093>095-098-103-104
-141300-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
625 AM EDT WED SEP 14 2005

...HURRICANE WARNING FROM OREGON INLET SOUTH...
...TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH FROM OREGON INLET
NORTH...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
CARTERET...WASHINGTON...TYRRELL...CRAVEN...BEAUFORT...DARE...HYDE...
PAMLICO...ONSLOW...OUTER BANKS DARE...AND OUTER BANKS HYDE COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST FROM
OREGON INLET SOUTH...INCLUDING THE PAMLICO SOUND. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR OREGON INLET
NORTH...INCLUDING THE ALBEMARLE SOUND.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT DESTRUCTIVE WINDS OF 74 MPH OR HIGHER
AND DANGEROUSLY HIGH TIDES CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA
WITHIN 24 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT WINDS OF 39 TO
73 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. A
HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN
THE NEXT 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 33.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.9 WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTH OF
WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA HAS BEEN MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE TODAY. STEERING CURRENTS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN
WEAK...AND AN ERRATIC MOTION IS POSSIBLE TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME SLIGHT
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT.


...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THERE IS A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR ALL NON-RESIDENTS ON OCRACOKE
ISLAND. A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL VISITORS AND
RESIDENTS OF THE HATTERAS ISLAND AREA OF DARE COUNTY. THIS
EVACUATION DOES NOT APPLY FOR AREAS NORTH OF OREGON INLET.

A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN LOW LYING
AREAS AND MOBILE HOMES IN ONSLOW COUNTY.

IN BEAUFORT COUNTY...A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW
LYING COMMUNITIES ALONG WHICHARDS BEACH ROAD. A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION
IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR LOW LYING AREAS IN THE
BELHAVEN...AURORA...WASHINGTON...WASHINGTON PARK...AND PAMLICO BEACH
COMMUNITIES.

PEOPLE IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD HAVE THEIR PREPARATIONS COMPLETED
TO MINIMIZE PROPERTY LOSSES AND PERSONAL RISK.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM SURGE FROM OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO BE 5 TO 7 FEET ALONG ONSLOW
COUNTY BEACHES TODAY.  ON BOGUE BANKS EAST INCLUDING CORE BANKS THE
SURGE WILL BE AROUND 5 FEET TODAY.  ON THE NEUSE AND PAMLICO
RIVERS...THE SURGE WILL BE FROM 7 TO 9 FEET TONIGHT.  THE HIGHEST
SURGES WILL BE IN EASTERN CRAVEN COUNTY AROUND CLUB FOOT CREEK AND
ADAMS CREEK.  THE SURGE WILL BE WITHIN A FOOT OR TWO OF THE SURGE
DURING HURRICANE ISABEL IN THE RIVERS AND ALONG THE SHORE OF THE
SOUTHERN PAMLICO SOUND.  IN MAINLAND HYDE COUNTY A SURGE OF AROUND 5
FEET IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.  A 5 TO 6
FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED AT FROM OCRACOKE TO CAPE HATTERAS TONIGHT AND
TOMORROW.  AFTER THE CENTER OF THE STORM MOVES EAST OF HATTERAS
TOMORROW AFTERNOON SOUNDSIDE FLOODING OF 4 TO 5 FEET IS EXPECTED
FROM RODANTHE SOUTH.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SOUTH OF CAPE HATTERAS WINDS WERE 30 TO 40 KNOTS EARLY THIS MORNING
WITH HIGHER GUSTS IN HEAVIER RAINBANDS.  WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS
MORNING TO 40 TO 50 KNOTS SOUTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT.  NORTH OF HATTERAS
WINDS WERE 25 TO 35 KNOTS EARLY THIS MORNING.  THEY WILL INCREASE TO
NEAR 40 KNOTS BY NOON.  SEAS WERE RUNNING AROUND 10 FEET BUT WILL BE
INCREASING TO 15 TO 18 FEET SOUTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT AND 10 TO 15 FEET
NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT BY NOON.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...
HEAVY RAINS WILL SPREAD NORTH ACROSS EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS
MORNING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE LIKELY WITH ISOLATED
AMOUNTS TO 15 INCHES. THE HEAVY RAINS WILL RESULT IN LOCALIZED
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TORNADOES...MAINLY IN THE RAINBANDS OF
OPHELIA.

...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...
THERE IS A HIGH THREAT OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES DUE TO
A LONG PERIOD SWELL FROM OPHELIA.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION IMPACTS...
SURF WILL BUILD WEDNESDAY AS OPHELIA APPROACHES. BREAKING WAVES OF 8
TO 10 FEET WILL BE POSSIBLE PRODUCING MODERATE TO SEVERE BEACH
EROSION.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE AROUND 9 AM.

$$

TK









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