[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMHX 151841
HLSMHX

AMZ130-135-150-152-154-156-158-NCZ045>047-080-081-093>095-098-103-104
-152200-

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

...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 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 34.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE  75.7 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHWEST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA IS NEARLY STATIONARY.  A SLOW DRIFT TO THE EAST OR EAST
NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
WHILE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A VERY SHORT
DISTANCE OFFSHORE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS...PORTIONS OF
THE NORTHERN EYEWALL WILL REMAIN OVER OR NEAR THE OUTER BANKS DURING
THE NEXT 12 TO POSSIBLY 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
IN DOWNEAST CARTERET COUNTY THE SURGE IS 5 TO 8 FEET ON THE NORTHERN
SHORES.  THE SURGE WILL SLOWLY RECEDE THIS AFTERNOON.

ON THE OUTER BANKS...WIND FLOW IS PARALLEL TO LOWER HATTERAS ISLAND
AND OCRACOKE AND AS A RESULT THE OCEANSIDE STORM SURGE HAS SUBSIDED
SOMEWHAT. AFTER THE CENTER OF THE STORM MOVES EAST OF CAPE
HATTERAS...SOUNDSIDE FLOODING OF 4 TO 5 FEET IS EXPECTED LATER THIS
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 15 TO 20 FEET NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT.  A GUST
TO 60 MPH WAS REPORTED AT CAPE HATTERAS...AND A GUST TO 81
MPH WAS REPORTED BY A NOAA BUOY LOCATED AT DIAMOND SHOALS.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...
RAINFALL WILL AVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 3 INCHES OVER THE OUTER
BANKS TODAY WITH AMOUNTS OF GENERALLY LESS THAN AN INCH OVER THE
IMMEDIATE COASTAL 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 6 PM.

$$

DB















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