[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS81 KAKQ 152101
HLSAKQ
ANZ632-633-656-658-NCZ015>017-030>032-102-VAZ091-094-095-097-098-
160100-

HURRICANE OPHELIA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
500 PM EDT THU SEP 15 2005

...OPHELIA REMAINS NEARLY STATIONARY SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS...
...HURRICANE WARNINGS DOWNGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS...

...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING FOR THE COASTAL WATERS NORTH OF CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT...THE
CURRITUCK SOUND AND CURRITUCK COUNTY...AND MOST COUNTIES ADJACENT TO
THE NORTHERN ALBEMARLE SOUND...

...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VIRGINIA...INCLUDING
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF NEW POINT COMFORT...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA AND
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...IN COUNTIES ADJACENT TO THE ATLANTIC
COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY...AND CURRITUCK SOUND.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
THE FOLLOWING NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER UNDER A
HURRICANE WARNING...BUT REMAIN UNDER A TROPICAL STORM WARNING...

CHOWAN...PERQUIMANS...PASQUOTANK...CAMDEN...AND CURRITUCK.

THE FOLLOWING NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER UNDER ANY
HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS...

BERTIE.

THE FOLLOWING VIRGINIA COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES REMAIN UNDER
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING...

VIRGINIA BEACH...CHESAPEAKE...NORFOLK...PORTSMOUTH.

THE FOLLOWING VIRGINIA COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES ARE NO LONGER
UNDER ANY HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS...

HAMPTON...POQUOSON...YORK...NEWPORT NEWS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...

AT 5 PM EDT...OR 2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 34.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.6 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 60 MILES
EAST-NORTHEAST OF CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA IS DRIFTING TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST NEAR 3 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT. OPHELIA IS FORECAST
TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED ON
FRIDAY. HOWEVER... SOME ERRATIC MOTION WILL BE POSSIBLE SINCE
STEERING CURRENTS ARE WEAK. ALSO...WHILE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS
FORECAST TO REMAIN JUST OFFSHORE THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS...
PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN EYEWALL ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER OR NEAR
THE OUTER BANKS FOR THE NEXT 12 TO POSSIBLY 24 HOURS.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO  NEAR  75 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES...MAINLY
NORTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES.  DURING THE PAST HOUR... A
GUST TO 85 MPH WAS REPORTED BY A NOAA BUOY LOCATED AT DIAMOND SHOALS.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT WAS 987 MB...29.15 INCHES.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...

THIS EVENING...AND FRIDAY MORNING...
IN NORTH CAROLINA...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED DURING
THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE EARLY THIS EVENING AND AGAIN FRIDAY MORNING.
FOR THE NORTHERN PORTION OF ALBEMARLE SOUND...THE SOUTHERN PORTION
OF CURRITUCK SOUND...AND THE OUTER BANKS...A SURGE OF 1.5 TO 2 FEET
IS EXPECTED.

IN SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED...WITH
MODERATE FLOODING POSSIBLE IN VIRGINIA BEACH AND ALONG THE NANSEMOND
RIVER...WHERE A  1 TO 2 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED. ALONG THE SOUTHERN
SHORE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...INCLUDING NORFOLK...AND PORTSMOUTH...
A SURGE OF 1 TO 1.5 FEET IS EXPECTED.

TIMES OF HIGH TIDE...AND FORECASTED WATER LEVELS REFERENCED TO
MEAN LOWER LOW WATER...FOR SOME LOCATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS...

SEWELLS POINT...
THIS EVENING AT 748 PM...4.5 TO 5.0 FEET.
FRIDAY MORNING AT 809 AM...4.0 TO 5.0 FEET.

VIRGINIA BEACH...
THIS EVENING AT 624 PM...6.0 FEET.
FRIDAY MORNING AT 649 AM...5.5 TO 6.0 FEET.

SOUTHERN CURRITUCK...
THIS AFTERNOON AT 556 PM...6.0 TO 6.5 FEET.
FRIDAY MORNING AT 623 AM...6.0 FEET.

...WIND IMPACTS...

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 45 MPH WILL
OVERSPREAD NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT...WITH THE HIGHEST
WINDS AND WIND GUSTS OCCURRING ACROSS THE OUTER BANKS...AND ALONG
THE ALBEMARLE SOUND...ESPECIALLY THE EASTERN PORTION.

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO
OVERSPREAD EXTREME SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA TONIGHT...WITH THE HIGHEST
WINDS AND GUSTS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE
BAY...AND POTENTIALLY OVER PARTS OF NORFOLK AND VIRGINIA BEACH.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...

COASTAL SECTIONS AND COUNTIES BORDERING THE ALBEMARLE SOUND COULD
SEE WIDESPREAD 1 TO 2 INCHES OF TOTAL RAINFALL...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS. THIS RAINFALL COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY
WHERE THESE AMOUNTS OCCUR IN AN HOUR OR LESS. RAINFALL UP TO ONE
INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA.

...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...

HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS FRIDAY. A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MEANS
WIND AND OR WAVE CONDITIONS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS. RIP CURRENTS ARE LIFE THREATENING TO ANYONE WHO ENTERS THE
SURF.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION IMPACTS...

NEARSHORE WAVES WILL BE 6 TO 9 FEET THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THIS
HIGH SURF WILL LIKELY CAUSE MINOR TO POSSIBLY MODERATE BEACH EROSION.

...NEXT UPDATE...

THE NEXT UPDATE WILL FOLLOW BY 8 PM EDT. STAY TUNED TO UPDATES ON
HURRICANE OPHELIA FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...LOCAL
MEDIA...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT WAKEFIELD.

$$

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