[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMHX 151229
HLSMHX

AMZ130-135-150-152-154-156-158-NCZ045>047-080-081-093>095-098-103-104
-151600-

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

...HURRICANE OPHELIA POUNDS THE OUTER BANKS...
...HURRICANE WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT...

...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 SOUTH TO SURF CITY...INCLUDING
THE PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 7 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 34.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE  75.9 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES
EAST-NORTHEAST OF CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 45 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. WHILE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS EXPECTED
TO PARALLEL AND PASS A VERY SHORT DISTANCE OFFSHORE OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA OUTER BANKS OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS...THE NORTHWEST EYEWALL
IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER THE OUTER BANKS DURING THIS PERIOD.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. A GRADUAL
WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN LATER TODAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
ON THE NEUSE RIVER...WATER LEVELS ARE RECEDING. IN DOWNEAST CARTERET
COUNTY THE SURGE WILL BE 8 TO 10 FEET BEFORE RECEDING LATE THIS
MORNING.  CORE SOUND FLOODING WILL BE AROUND 6 FEET.

ON THE OUTER BANKS...A 5 TO 7 FOOT STORM SURGE IS OCCURRING FROM
OCRACOKE TO CAPE HATTERAS THIS MORNING.  WAVES ON TOP OF THE STORM
SURGE WILL BATTER THE COAST. AFTER THE CENTER OF THE STORM MOVES
EAST OF CAPE HATTERAS...SOUNDSIDE FLOODING OF 4 TO 5 FEET IS
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM RODANTHE SOUTH.


...WIND AND SEAS IMPACTS...
WINDS IN THE EYEWALL WERE GENERALLY 70 TO 80 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 90
MPH.  SEAS WERE RUNNING 20 TO 25 FEET NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...
RAINFALL WILL AVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL 3 TO 5 INCHES OVER THE OUTER
BANKS TODAY WITH AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL
AREAS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...
THERE IS A HIGH THREAT OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG AREA BEACHES.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION IMPACTS...
SEVERE BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE AROUND NOON.

$$

DB











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