[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMHX 150408
HLSMHX

AMZ130-135-150-152-154-156-158-NCZ045>047-080-081-093>095-098-103-104
-150700-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
12 MIDNIGHT EDT THU SEP 15 2005

...NEAR RECORD FLOODING ALONG BOGUE SOUND...
...HURRICANE WARNING CONTINUES...

...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.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 34.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.5 WEST OR ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH-
SOUTHEAST OF CAPE LOOKOUT AND ABOUT 85 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CAPE
HATTERAS.

OPHELIA IS MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST NEAR 7 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  THE NORTHERN EYEWALL
OF OPHELIA WILL PASS OVER THE OUTER BANKS OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

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

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
SOUNDSIDE FLOODING IN BOGUE SOUND IS STILL EXTREMELY HIGH...BUT IS
BEGINNING TO RECEDE A LITTLE.  FLOODING IN SALTER PATH APPROACHED
LEVELS DURING HURRICANE HAZEL IN 1954.  THE SURGE WAS AROUND 7 FEET
NEAR SALTER PATH. WATER IS BEGINNING TO RECEDE IN BOGUE SOUND.

ON THE NEUSE RIVER...WATER IS BEGINNING TO RISE.  THE WATER LEVEL IN
CLUB FOOT CREEK WAS REPORTED TO BE 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL.  THE WATER
WILL CONTINUE TO RISE TO 10 TO 12 FEET IN ADAMS CREEK, HANCOCK
CREEK, AND SLOCUM CREEK IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE NEUSE RIVER ABOVE
SLOCUM CREEK WILL CONTINUE TO RISE TONIGHT TO A HEIGHT OF 7 TO 9
FEET ABOVE NORMAL BEFORE SUNRISE.  THE SURGE IN ORIENTAL WILL BE 9
TO 10 FEET TONIGHT.  IN DOWNEAST CARTERET COUNTY THE SURGE WILL BE 8
TO 10 FEET. THE WATER WILL RECEDE IN THE NEUSE BEGINNING AROUND
SUNRISE. CORE SOUND FLOODING WILL BE AROUND 6 FEET.  WATER LEVELS
WILL BE SLOWER TO RECEDE IN CORE SOUND.

ON THE PAMLICO RIVER...THE STORM SURGE WILL BE AROUND 6 TO 8 FEET ON
THE PAMLICO RIVER...AND AROUND 5 FEET IN BELHAVEN. THE WATER SHOULD
BE NEAR ITS HIGHEST LEVEL NOW AND WILL BEGIN RECEDING IN THE NEXT
FEW HOURS.

IN MAINLAND HYDE COUNTY...A SURGE OF AROUND 5 FEET IS EXPECTED LATE
TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.  A 5 TO 7 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED
FROM OCRACOKE TO CAPE HATTERAS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING. THE
FLOODING WILL BE WORST AROUND HIGH TIDE JUST BEFORE SUNRISE. WAVES
ON TOP OF THE STORM SURGE WILL BATTER THE COAST.

THE SURGE ON THE WESTERN END OF THE ALBEMARLE SOUND WILL BE UP TO 4
TO 5 FEET TONIGHT. AFTER THE CENTER OF THE STORM MOVES EAST OF
HATTERAS TOMORROW...SOUNDSIDE FLOODING OF 5 TO 6 FEET IS EXPECTED
FROM RODANTHE SOUTH.

...WIND AND SEAS IMPACTS...
WINDS IN THE EYEWALL WERE GENERALLY 70 TO 80 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 90
MPH.  WINDS AND SEAS WILL INCREASE ALONG THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE OUTER BANKS IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS THE EYEWALL APPROACHES.
SEAS WERE RUNNING 10 TO 15  FEET SOUTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT AND 15 TO 20
FEET NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...
THERE IS A FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS 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 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...
SEVERE BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE AROUND 3 AM.

$$

TK



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