[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 141258
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-141700-

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

...OPHELIA STRENGTHENING AS THE NORTHWESTERN EYE WALL BRUSHES CAPE
FEAR...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE EYE WALL OF MAXIMUM WINDS IS MOVING OVER SOUTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA.

SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITH HIGHER GUSTS HAVE BEEN
OBSERVED AT THE WILMINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...AND SUSTAINED
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITH HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS...78 MPH...
HAVE BEEN OBSERVED AT WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 33.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.8 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTH
OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE
WAS 980 MB OR 28.94 INCHES. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 6 MPH AND THIS SLOW
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY...WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD
THE NORTHEAST AND A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED EXPECTED LATER
TODAY.

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 CENTER OF OPHELIA WITHIN 25
MILES OF THE CAPE FEAR COAST AT ITS CLOSEST APPROACH THIS
AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH THE NORTHWESTERN EYE WALL WILL BRUSH THE
IMMEDIATE COAST FROM CAPE FEAR NORTH.

...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 PENDER...BRUNSWICK...NEW
HANOVER AND HORRY COUNTIES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A FLOOD WARNING
IS IN EFFECT FOR BRUNSWICK COUNTY UNTIL 12:15 PM.

...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...AND PENDER.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WATER LEVELS ALONG NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTIES AND ALONG THE
EAST SIDE OF BALD HEAD ISLAND ARE AROUND 4 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED
ASTRONOMICAL TIDES. STORM SURGE FROM CAPE FEAR NORTHWARD COULD RISE
TO 6 TO 7 FEET TODAY AS OPHELIA PASSES TO THE EAST. THE NEXT HIGH
TIDE WILL BE AROUND 2 PM AND MODERATE...POSSIBLY MAJOR...COASTAL
FLOODING IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON.

ALONG THE SOUTH FACING BEACHES OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY AND ALONG THE
BEACHES OF HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES WIND IS BLOWING OFF THE
BEACH AND THE TIDES ARE RUNNING LESS THAN 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL...AND
ARE FALLING. COASTAL FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

...WIND IMPACTS...
SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS...AND ARE ALSO IMPACTING BRUNSWICK AND NEW HANOVER COUNTIES.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE COAST OF SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA...AND WILL LIKELY CONTINUE 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 12 TO 18 FEET ARE OCCURRING ACROSS MUCH OF THE COASTAL
WATERS. SEAS WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE STORM WILL BE 15 TO 25
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
WHICH WILL AID IN KNOCKING DOWN THE SURF...ENOUGH TO PREVENT FURTHER
EROSION.

...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 IN HORRY COUNTY WITH LESSER AMOUNTS IN GEORGETOWN
COUNTY.

...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 NOON.

$$

JAQ/TM


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