[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 310334
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-
042>045-047>051-310700-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1134 PM EDT WED AUG 30 2006

...ERNESTO STRENGTHS BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM...

...NEW INFORMATION...
THE POSITION AND STRENGTH OF ERNESTO HAS BEEN UPDATED.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS AND
VISITORS OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
INCLUDING THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM ALTAMAHA SOUND TO
THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER ENTRANCE. THIS INCLUDES CHATHAM...BRYAN...
LIBERTY AND MCINTOSH COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...AND
CHARLESTON...COLLETON...BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES IN SOUTH
CAROLINA...INCLUDING THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING MEANS TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR DORCHESTER
AND BERKELEY COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 11 PM
THURSDAY.

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLESTON...BERKELEY AND
DORCHESTER COUNTY FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 28.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.6 WEST...OR JUST NORTH OF
CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. THIS IS ABOUT 285 MILES SOUTH OF CHARLESTON
AND ABOUT 230 MILES SOUTH OF SAVANNAH.

ERNESTO IS MOVING TO THE NORTH NEAR 14 MPH...AND A GRADUAL TURN TO
THE NORTH NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH AN
INCREASE IN SPEED. ERNESTO WILL REMAIN OVER THE ATLANTIC TONIGHT AND
AND APPROACH THE GEORGETOWN COUNTY COAST THURSDAY EVENING...PASSING
JUST EAST OF DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. ON THIS
TRACK...ERNESTO WILL PASS VERY CLOSE TO OR OVER CAPE ROMAIN LATE
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH.
ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY TONIGHT.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
OFFICIALS IN CHARLESTON AND COLLETON COUNTY HAVE ISSUED A VOLUNTARY
EVACUATION FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN VULNERABLE AREAS SUCH AS THE
BEACHES...BARRIER ISLANDS...MOBILES HOMES OR IN LOW LYING AREAS THAT
ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO RELOCATE TO A SAFE
LOCATION. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT THE CHARLESTON COUNTY
CITIZEN INFORMATION HOTLINE AT 843-202-7100...OR THE SPANISH HOTLINE
AT 843-202-7191. FOR INFORMATION IN COLLETON COUNTY CALL
843-549-5632.

THE CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL CEASE ALL AIRCRAFT
OPERATIONS AT 9 AM EDT THURSDAY. THE AIRPORT TERMINAL WILL CLOSE AT
11 AM EDT THURSDAY.

THE COAST GUARD HAS SET PORT CONDITION YANKEE FOR THE CHARLESTON
HARBOR. PORT CONDITION YANKEE RESTRICTS VESSEL MOVEMENT INBOUND AND
OUTBOUND IN HARBOR. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO PLANS TO UPGRADE TO
CONDITION ZULU AT THIS TIME.

FOR SCHOOL CLOSURE INFORMATION...PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
ERNESTO IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST DURING
THE MID OR LATE AFTERNOON HOURS THURSDAY...WHICH IS NEAR OR SHORTLY
AFTER THE 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...CAPE ROMAIN AND MCCLELLANVILLE AREAS.

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

...WINDS...
WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL BEGIN TO
IMPACT COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA TOWARD DAYBREAK THURSDAY
AND CONTINUING THROUGH MIDDAY THURSDAY. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY
DIMINISH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS ERNESTO MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA.
WINDS WILL INCREASE ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST TO TROPICAL STORM
FORCE DURING THURSDAY MORNING. 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 40 TO 50 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE LIKELY...WITH THE HIGHEST WINDS BEING CONFINED
TO THE COASTAL AREAS NORTH OF KIAWAH ISLAND. SINCE ERNESTO WILL
REMAIN OVER THE ATLANTIC FOR ABOUT 18 TO 20 HOURS ADDITIONAL
STRENGTHENING WILL LIKELY OCCUR AS IT APPROACHES THE GEORGETOWN
COUNTY COAST. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE ACROSS COASTAL SOUTH
CAROLINA THURSDAY EVENING. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ANY
DEVIATION IN THE TRACK OF ERNESTO WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON
EXPECTED CONDITIONS.

...INLAND FLOODING...
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH THE STORM ARE EXPECTED TO BE 1 TO 3 INCHES IN
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...WITH 3 TO 5 INCHES IN SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA.
HOWEVER...LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER
DORCHESTER...BERKELEY AND CHARLESTON COUNTY. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA FOR THURSDAY.

...TORNADOES...
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST AS
ERNESTO APPROACHES THURSDAY AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY FROM THE BEAUFORT
AREA TO CHARLESTON...AWENDAW AND MCCLELLANVILLE. REMEMBER THAT
TORNADOES CAN FORM WITH LITTLE TO NO ADVANCED NOTICE DURING TROPICAL
STORMS. REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY
SHOULD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

...INLAND WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO
50 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH INLAND ACROSS INTERIOR AREAS OF
SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA FROM THE COAST THURSDAY AS ERNESTO
APPROACHES PASSES JUST EAST OF THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST. TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS...WINDS GREATER THAN 39 MPH...ARE EXPECTED TO
OCCUR OVER BERKELEY COUNTY AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF DORCHESTER
COUNTY. THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF SUMMERVILLE...MONCKS CORNER
AND DANIEL ISLAND. IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS ARE NOT 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 ARE 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...
THERE IS A HIGH OF RIP CURRENTS 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 AREAS OF 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 3 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.

$$

ST
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