[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMHX 142144
HLSMHX

AMZ130-135-150-152-154-156-158-NCZ045>047-080-081-093>095-098-103-104
-150200-

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

...HURRICANE WARNING FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER SOUTH
INCLUDING THE PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS...

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

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST FROM
THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER AND SOUTH...INCLUDING THE PAMLICO
AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.

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.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 34.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.2 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF CAPE LOOKOUT.

OPHELIA IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 7 MPH.  THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE EYEWALL WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS
THE COAST NEAR CAPE LOOKOUT EARLY THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME SLIGHT
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TODAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AT 5 PM WATER WAS OVER ROUTE 24 NEAR SWANSBORO.  WATER WAS ALSO UP
TO THE LEVEL OF THE BRIDGE NEAR BROAD CREEK IN CARTERET
COUNTY...ALSO ON ROUTE 24.  THE PAMLICO RIVER GAGE NEAR WASHINGTON
HAS RISEN 2 FEET OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS.

THE STORM SURGE FROM OPHELIA IS AT ITS HIGHEST POINT CURRENTLY ALONG
ONSLOW COUNTY BEACHES...SOME 5 TO 6 FEET.  ON BOGUE BANKS EAST
INCLUDING CORE BANKS...THE SURGE WILL BE AROUND 5 FEET BY EARLY THIS
EVENING.  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 CLUBFOOT 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
FROM OCRACOKE TO CAPE HATTERAS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.  THE SURGE ON
THE WESTERN END OF THE ALBEMARLE SOUND WILL BE UP TO 4 FEET
BEGINNING TONIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. AFTER THE
CENTER OF THE STORM MOVES EAST OF HATTERAS TOMORROW...SOUNDSIDE
FLOODING OF 4 TO 5 FEET IS EXPECTED FROM RODANTHE SOUTH.


...WIND AND SEAS IMPACTS...
SOUTH OF CAPE HATTERAS WINDS WERE 35 TO 45 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR
65 KNOTS.  WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO 50 TO 70 KNOTS SOUTH
OF CAPE LOOKOUT.  NORTH OF HATTERAS WINDS WERE 25 TO 35 KNOTS.  THEY
WILL INCREASE TO NEAR 50 KNOTS TONIGHT.  SEAS WERE RUNNING 15 FEET
TO 20 FEET SOUTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT.  SEAS NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT WERE
AROUND 10 FEET BUT WILL INCREASE TO 15 FEET BY TONIGHT.

ON LAND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WERE BEING REPORTED IN MOREHEAD
CITY...BOGUE SOUND...WILLISTON AND NEW BERN. A GUST TO 60 MPH WAS
MEASURED ATOP THE EMERALD ISLE BRIDGE AND A GUST TO 50 MPH WAS
OBSERVED ON NORTH TOPSAIL.


...FLOODING IMPACTS...
THERE IS A FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. RAIN
BANDS ARE MOVING ACROSS MAINLY THE COASTAL COUNTIES.  RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF UP TO AN INCH PER HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED IN THESE SHOWERS.
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 8 INCHES ARE LIKELY WITH
STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER COASTAL
SECTIONS. THE HEAVY RAINS WILL RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AREAS.


...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TORNADOES TODAY AND TONIGHT.


...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...
THERE IS A HIGH THREAT OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES.  PEOPLE
ARE URGED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER.


...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION IMPACTS...
SURF WILL BUILD TODAY 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 PM.

$$

DB








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