[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 301311
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-
042>045-047>051-301600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
910 AM EDT WED AUG 30 2006

...ERNESTO CONTINUING TO MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN FLORIDA...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE LATEST POSITION OF ERNESTO HAS BEEN UPDATED.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS BE TAKEN BY ALL PERSONS
IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...INCLUDING THE
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM ALTAMAHA SOUND TO
SAVANNAH. THIS INCLUDES CHATHAM...BRYAN...LIBERTY AND MCINTOSH
COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF SAVANNAH TO THE
SOUTH SANTEE RIVER ENTRANCE. THIS INCLUDES CHARLESTON...COLLETON...
BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. A
HURRICANE WATCH MEANS HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING OR HURRICANE WARNING MAY
BE ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE HURRICANE WATCH AREA LATER TODAY.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR DORCHESTER AND
BERKELEY COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 8 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 26.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.0 WEST...OR ABOUT 50 MILES EAST
SOUTHEAST OF NAPLES FLORIDA. THIS IS ABOUT 470 MILES SOUTH OF
CHARLESTON AND ABOUT 410 MILES SOUTH OF SAVANNAH.

ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 8 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION
WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING TODAY. THIS
WILL KEEP ERNESTO ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA INTO THIS
EVENING...BEFORE MOVING BACK INTO THE ATLANTIC OFF THE CENTRAL
FLORIDA COAST BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. ERNESTO IS THEN EXPECTED TO MOVE
NORTH NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT...PASSING EAST OF THE GEORGIA COAST
THURSDAY MORNING...AND WILL HEAD TOWARD THE MIDDLE OR UPPER SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED DURING TODAY WITH CONTINUED
INTERACTION WITH LAND. ONCE THE STORM MOVES BACK INTO THE ATLANTIC
TONIGHT...IT IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN TO A STRONG TROPICAL
STORM. THERE REMAINS A SLIGHT CHANCE THAT ERNESTO COULD BECOME A
MINIMAL HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE MIDDLE AND UPPER SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST ON THURSDAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
ERNESTO IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST DURING
MID AFTERNOON HOURS NEAR HIGH TIDE. A STORM SURGE OF 1 TO 3 FEET IS
CURRENTLY EXPECTED FROM NEAR EDISTO BEACH NORTHWARD ALONG THE
CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST WHICH WILL CAUSE MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING
OF THE BARRIER ISLANDS AND AREAS IN THE CHARLESTON HARBOR. THIS WILL
YIELD STORM TIDES OF 7 TO 9 FEET. AT THIS TIME...THE HIGHEST SURGE
POTENTIAL WILL REMAIN ACROSS NORTHEAST CHARLESTON COUNTY NEAR THE
BULLS BAY AND CAPE ROMAIN AREAS.

FURTHER SOUTH AROUND BEAUFORT AND THE GEORGIA COAST...WINDS WILL
SHIFT OFFSHORE AS THE CENTER OF THE TROPICAL STORM PASSES TO THE
EAST. AS A RESULT...STORM SURGE VALUES WILL REMAIN 1 FOOT OR LESS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WINDS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL
BEGIN TO IMPACT COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA LATE TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING
THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS ERNESTO MOVES INTO NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA
THURSDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL INCREASE ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE AFTER SUNRISE THURSDAY. WINDS OF 30 TO 40
MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS BEAUFORT AND COASTAL
PORTIONS OF COLLETON COUNTY. IN CHARLESTON COUNTY...WINDS OF 45 TO
55 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH APPEAR LIKELY. THERE IS STILL A CHANCE
THAT THE STORM MAY REACH MINIMAL HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES
THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE ACROSS
COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA THURSDAY EVENING.

...FLOODING IMPACTS...
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH THE STORM ARE EXPECTED TO BE 1 TO 3 INCHES IN
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND 3 TO 5 INCHES IN SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA.
LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE. A FLOOD WATCH MAY BE ISSUED
FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA LATER TODAY AS THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD
PRODUCE FLOODING...PARTICULARLY IN DORCHESTER...BERKELEY AND
CHARLESTON COUNTIES WHERE ISOLATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD APPROACH 7
INCHES.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
AS ERNESTO APPROACHES THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

...INLAND WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH ARE
EXPECTED TO PUSH INLAND ACROSS INTERIOR AREAS OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA FROM THE COAST THURSDAY AS ERNESTO APPROACHES THE
CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...WINDS GREATER
THAN 39 MPH...ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR ALONG AND EAST OF THE
INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR. THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF
WALTERBORO...SUMMERVILLE...MONCKS CORNER AND DANIEL ISLAND. IN
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOT
CURRENTLY EXPECTED WEST OF A SPRINGFIELD TO HINESVILLE TO LUDOWICI
LINE...ALTHOUGH A FEW GUSTS TO 40 MPH COULD OCCUR.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TREE AND
POWERLINE DAMAGE. MINOR DAMAGE TO SOME STRUCTURES IS ALSO POSSIBLE.
PREPARE NOW FOR POSSIBLE POWER OUTAGES.

MARINERS ON LAKE MOULTRIE CAN EXPECT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS
TO DEVELOP ON THE LAKE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT AS ERNESTO
CROSSES THE REGION. WINDS AS HIGH AS 30 TO 40 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED.
THE RESULTING LARGE WAVE ACTION FROM THESE WINDS MAY CAUSE DOCK AND
PIER DAMAGE AROUND THE LAKESHORE. LARGE WIND DRIVEN WAVES MAY ALSO
PRODUCE LAKESHORE FLOODING...PARTICULARLY ALONG THE SOUTHERN AND
WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE LAKE.

...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...
A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY ALONG THE SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST. A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK MEANS THAT WIND AND OR WAVE
CONDITIONS SUPPORT PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS. RIP CURRENTS
ARE LIFE THREATENING TO ANYONE ENTERING THE SURF. YOU ARE STRONGLY
URGED NOT TO GO INTO THE WATER. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND
THE BEACH PATROL. PAY ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION IMPACTS...
MODERATE BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA AND
GEORGIA COAST WITH SOME SEVERE EROSION EXPECTED IN CHARLESTON
COUNTY. LOCALIZED SEVERE BEACH EROSION IS ALSO POSSIBLE IN EROSION
PRONE AREAS SUCH AS HUNTING ISLAND AND EDISTO BEACH.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AROUND 11 AM...OR SOONER IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO CAN BE FOUND IN
ADVISORIES ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AND SHORT TERM
FORECASTS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

$$

33/RJB






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