[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS81 KAKQ 141258
HLSAKQ
ANZ632-633-656-658-NCZ015>017-030>032-102-VAZ091-094-095-097-098-
141700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
857 AM EDT WED SEP 14 2005

...OPHELIA STRENGTHENING AS IT MOVES NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD
THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...

...A HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT
FOR THE COASTAL WATERS NORTH OF CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT...THE
CURRITUCK SOUND AND FOR CURRITUCK COUNTY AND COUNTIES ADJACENT TO
THE NORTHERN ALBEMARLE SOUND...
...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE NORTH
CAROLINA...VIRGINIA BORDER NORTH TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT...THE
SOUTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA AND
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...IN COUNTIES ADJACENT TO THE ATLANTIC
COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY...AND CURRITUCK SOUND.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
THE FOLLOWING NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES ARE UNDER A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH...
BERTIE...CHOWAN...PERQUIMANS...PASQUOTANK...CAMDEN...AND
CURRITUCK.

THE FOLLOWING VIRGINIA COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES ARE UNDER A
TROPICAL STORM WATCH...
VIRGINIA BEACH...CHESAPEAKE...NORFOLK...PORTSMOUTH...HAMPTON...POQUOSON...
YORK...NEWPORT NEWS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS...SUSTAINED WINDS
74 MPH OR GREATER...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM FORCE
CONDITIONS...SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 39 AND 73 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...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 AND ABOUT 110 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA APPEARS TO BE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY...WITH A GRADUAL
TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED
EXPECTED BY TONIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS
FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG OR PASS JUST SOUTH OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA OUTER BANKS ON THURSDAY. HOWEVER...THE NORTHERN EYEWALL
WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA
LATER TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SLIGHT
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS
BEFORE LANDFALL OCCURS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...

MINOR COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE SOUTHERN
CHESAPEAKE BAY...AND ALONG THE NORTHERN OUTER BANKS...TODAY AND
THURSDAY. SOME TIMES OF HIGH TIDE...AND FORECASTED WATER LEVELS
REFERENCED TO MEAN LOWER LOW WATER...FOR SOME LOCATIONS ARE AS
FOLLOWS...

SEWELLS POINT...TODAY 649 PM...5.2 FEET...THURSDAY 712
AM...4.7 FEET...THURSDAY 5.2 FEET.

VIRGINIA BEACH...TODAY 525 PM...6.2 FEET...THURSDAY 553
AM...5.7 FEET.

SOUTHERN CURRITUCK...TODAY 457 PM...6.0 FEET...THURSDAY
524 AM...5.4 FEET.

A SURGE OF 1 TO 3 FEET IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF THE
ALBEMARLE SOUND TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. THE GREATEST SURGE POTENTIAL
WILL BE ALONG THE SOUTHEAST SHORE OF BERTIE AND SOUTHERN SHORE OF CHOWAN
COUNTIES...WHERE 3 TO 5 FEET IS POSSIBLE.

...WIND IMPACTS...

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL LIKELY OVERSPREAD
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA LATE THIS AFTERNOON...FROM SOUTHWEST TO
NORTHEAST...WITH THE HIGHEST WINDS AND WIND GUSTS ACROSS THE OUTER
BANKS...AND ALONG THE ALBEMARLE SOUND. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A
FEW HIGHER GUSTS...PERHAPS TO HURRICANE FORCE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
SOUTHERN PORTIONS OUTER CURRITUCK COUNTY...AND THE ADJACENT
COASTAL WATERS.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY
MORNING. COASTAL SECTIONS AND COUNTIES BORDERING THE ALBEMARLE
SOUND COULD SEE WIDESPREAD 3 TO 6 INCHES OF TOTAL RAINFALL...WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. THIS RAINFALL COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED
FLOODING.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...

ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...

HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY AND THURSDAY. A HIGH RISK OF RIP
CURRENTS MEANS WIND AND OR WAVE CONDITIONS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT
OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS. RIP CURRENTS ARE LIFE THREATENING TO
ANYONE WHO ENTERS THE SURF.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION IMPACTS...

NEARSHORE WAVES WILL BUILD TO 6 TO 9 FEET THIS AFTERNOON...AND
NEAR 10 FEET TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. THIS HIGH SURF
WILL LIKELY CAUSE MINOR TO POSSIBLY MODERATE BEACH EROSION.

...NEXT UPDATE...

THE NEXT UPDATE WILL FOLLOW BY NOON. STAY TUNED TO UPDATES ON
HURRICANE OPHELIA FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...LOCAL
MEDIA...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT WAKEFIELD.

$$

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