[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 141942
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-142300-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
342 PM EDT WED SEP 14 2005

...WESTERN EYEWALL OF OPHELIA CONTINUING TO BATTER CAPE FEAR...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE EYE WALL OF MAXIMUM WINDS CONTINUES TO MOVE ALONG THE
IMMEDIATE SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA COAST NORTH OF CAPE FEAR.

SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH
CONTINUE TO BE OBSERVED IN WILMINGTON AND SOUTHPORT.  ALONG THE
IMMEDIATE COAST SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE BEEN AS HIGH AS 65 MPH...WITH
GUSTS TO 79 MPH...OR HURRICANE FORCE...AT WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH.

MINOR TO MODERATE TIDAL FLOODING WILL AFFECT FLOOD PRONE LOCATIONS
ON THE PENDER COUNTY COAST INTO THIS EVENING. MINOR TIDAL
FLOODING WILL AFFECT THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY COAST...AND THE EAST
SIDE OF BALD HEAD ISLAND...THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON.

SIGNIFICANT FRESH WATER FLOODING...THE RESULT OF PERSISTENT
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...CONTINUES IN PARTS OF BRUNSWICK AND NEW
HANOVER COUNTIES. REPORTS INDICATE THAT IN EXCESS OF 10 INCHES OF
RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY. THIS FLOODING MAY POSE
A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 33.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.4 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA...AND 35 MILES EAST
OF SOUTHPORT NORTH CAROLINA. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS
979 MB OR 28.91 INCHES. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 7 MPH AND THIS SLOW
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED EXPECTED BY
TONIGHT.

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

THE CENTER OF OPHELIA WILL PARALLEL THE COAST AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST
THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THE STRONG WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL
CONTINUE TO IMPACT EASTERN BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER...AND PENDER
COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LITTLE RIVER INLET SOUTH
CAROLINA TO SURF CITY IN NORTH CAROLINA...AND INCLUDES THE COUNTIES
OF BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER AND PENDER. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS
IN EFFECT FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO LITTLE RIVER INLET...INCLUDING
HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES.

A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PENDER...BRUNSWICK...NEW
HANOVER AND HORRY COUNTIES THROUGH THIS 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...AND PENDER.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WATER LEVELS ALONG PENDER COUNTY ARE 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED
ASTRONOMICAL TIDES...WHILE WATER LEVELS ALONG NEW HANOVER COUNTY
ARE AROUND 2.5 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED ASTRONOMICAL TIDES. THE
AFTERNOON HIGH TIDE...WHICH WILL OCCUR AROUND 5 PM...WILL RUN 2 TO 4
FEET ABOVE PREDICTED LEVELS IN PENDER COUNTY...CAUSING MINOR TO
MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING. WATER LEVELS WILL RUN 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE
PREDICTED LEVELS IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY...CAUSING MINOR COASTAL
FLOODING...EXCEPT ON THE NORTH END OF CAROLINA BEACH WHERE MINOR TO
MODERATE SOUND SIDE FLOODING MAY OCCUR.

ALONG THE BEACHES OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST...THE OFFSHORE WIND DIRECTION HAS RESULTED IN TIDES NOW
RUNNING BELOW PREDICTED LEVELS BY 1.5 TO 2.5 FEET.  COASTAL FLOODING
IS NOT EXPECTED IN THESE LOCATIONS.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS OF 12 TO 18 FEET ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS FROM
CAPE FEAR NORTH. SEAS WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE STORM WILL BE 15
TO 25 FT. THOUGH SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE
LONG BAY WATERS...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...
ROUGH SURF CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE COAST TODAY...WITH 7 TO
10 FOOT BREAKERS FROM CAPE FEAR NORTH.  SURF WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE
THIS AFTERNOON SOUTH OF CAPE FEAR.

MODERATE TO MAJOR BEACH EROSION WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS
THE EAST FACING BEACHES OF NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTIES...AND THE
EAST SIDE OF BALD HEAD ISLAND.  BEACH EROSION IMPACTS SHOULD LESSEN
ALONG THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY AND SOUTH CAROLINA BEACHES.

...RAINFALL...
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THIS
AFTERNOON...MAINLY ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA.
FARTHER WEST...1 TO 2 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED IN
BLADEN...COLUMBUS...AND HORRY COUNTIES.

...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 6 PM.

$$

JAQ








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