[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KMHX 152120
HLSMHX

AMZ130-135-150-152-154-156-158-NCZ045>047-080-081-093>095-098-103-104
-160200-

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

...HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A TROPICAL STORM WARNING
FROM CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH TO THE VIRGINIA BORDER...

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

...WARNINGS...
THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING FROM CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH TO THE VIRGINIA BORDER INCLUDING THE
PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 PM EDT...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.

OPHELIA IS DRIFTING TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST NEAR 3 MPH.  THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT. OPHELIA IS FORECAST
TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED ON
FRIDAY. WHILE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A 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 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME
FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
IN DOWNEAST CARTERET COUNTY THE SURGE IS 3 TO 5 FEET ON THE NORTHERN
SHORES.  THE SURGE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEDE THIS EVENING.

ON THE OUTER BANKS...WIND FLOW IS PARALLEL TO LOWER HATTERAS ISLAND
AND OCRACOKE AND AS A RESULT THE OCEANSIDE STORM SURGE IS MINIMAL.
NORTH OF CAPE HATTERAS A SURGE OF 2 TO 3 FEET IS POSSIBLE THROUGH
THIS EVENING.  AFTER THE CENTER OF THE STORM MOVES EAST OF CAPE
HATTERAS...SOUNDSIDE FLOODING OF 3 TO 4 FEET IS POSSIBLE LATER
TONIGHT FROM RODANTHE SOUTH.

...WIND AND SEAS IMPACTS...
WINDS IN THE EYEWALL WERE GENERALLY 65 TO 75 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 80
MPH.  SEAS WERE RUNNING 15 TO 20 FEET NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...
RAINFALL WILL AVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OVER THE OUTER
BANKS TONIGHT WITH AMOUNTS OF GENERALLY LESS THAN AN INCH OVER THE
IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREAS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE AROUND 9 PM.

$$

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