[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 141041 AAA
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-099>101-SCZ034-046-141200-

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

...OPHELIA SLOWLY MOVING NORTH...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR BLADEN AND COLUMBUS COUNTIES
HAS BEEN CANCELLED. TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS WILL STILL BE
POSSIBLE...BUT SUSTAINED WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO OCCUR.

WATER LEVELS ALONG NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTIES AND ALONG THE
EAST SIDE OF BALD HEAD ISLAND ARE 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED
ASTRONOMICAL TIDES. STORM SURGE FROM CAPE FEAR NORTHWARD COULD RISE
TO 5 TO 6 FEET TODAY AS OPHELIA PASSES TO THE EAST. ON A FALLING
ASTRONOMICAL TIDE...JOHNNY MERCER PIER AT WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH WAS
SHOWING TIDE LEVELS AROUND 6 FT AND STILL RISING. THE NEXT HIGH TIDE
WILL BE AROUND 2 PM.

ALONG THE SOUTH FACING BEACHES OF BRUNSWICK THE TIDES ARE RUNNING 1
TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...AND ARE FALLING.

TIDES ALONG THE BEACHES OF HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES ARE
FALLING...WITH OFFSHORE FLOW DEVELOPING ACROSS COASTAL SOUTH
CAROLINA. COASTAL FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

...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. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE
WAS 980 MB OR 28.94 INCHES. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

OPHELIA IS SLOWLY MOVING NORTHWARD AT 5 MPH AND THIS SLOW MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HOWEVER...STEERING
CURRENTS REMAIN WEAK...AND ERRATIC MOTION IS STILL POSSIBLE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 100
MILES.

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

SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS...AND ARE STARTING TO IMPACT THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY COAST.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE COASTAL WATERS
SOUTH AND EAST OF BALD HEAD ISLAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL
DEVELOP OVER THE COASTAL WATERS OFF THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY 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.

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.

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

...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 SEA STATE WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AT THE
BEACHES...AS A RESULT PEOPLE ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER.

...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 TODAY...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 800 AM.

$$






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