[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 311828
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-
042>045-047>051-312300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
230 PM EDT THU AUG 31 2006

...ERNESTO HAS STRENGTHENED TO NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH OFF THE SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST...
...STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS ACROSS CHARLESTON...BERKELEY AND
DORCHESTER COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON...

...NEW INFORMATION...
CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE FOLLOWING...WATCHES/WARNINGS...STORM
INFORMATION...WINDS...INLAND FLOODING...TORNADOES AND THE TIME OF
THE NEXT UPDATE.

...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 THE SAVANNAH RIVER
TO THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER ENTRANCE. THIS INCLUDES
CHARLESTON...COLLETON...BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES...AS WELL AS
THE ADJACENT ATLANTIC WATERS OUT 20 NM AND FOR CHARLESTON HARBOR.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ATLANTIC WATERS
FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER TO THE ALTAMAHA SOUND OUT 60 NM.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA.

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

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CHARLESTON...BERKELEY AND
DORCHESTER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 11 PM THIS
EVENING.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.1 WEST...OR ABOUT 80 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 85 MILES SOUTH OF
MCCLELLANVILLE.

ERNESTO IS MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST NEAR 17 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. ON THE FORECAST
TRACK ERNESTO WILL REMAIN OVER THE ATLANTIC INTO THIS EVENING AND IS
EXPECTED TO APPROACH AREAS NORTH OF CHARLESTON COUNTY THIS EVENING.
AT ITS POINT OF CLOSEST APPROACH THE CENTER OF ERNESTO WILL PASS
ABOUT 50 TO 60 MILES EAST OF THE CHARLESTON METROPOLITAN AREA AROUND
5 PM...AND THE CENTER WILL PASS ABOUT 30 TO 40 MILES EAST OF THE
CAPE ROMAIN AND MCCLELLANVILLE AREAS AROUND 6 OR 7 PM.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE STRENGTHENED TO NEAR 70 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. ERNESTO CERTAINLY COULD STRENGTHEN TO A MINIMAL
HURRICANE BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL THIS EVENING.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL PREPARATIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED.

THE CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND THE AIRPORT
TERMINAL WILL REMAIN CLOSED THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

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

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
A STORM SURGE OF 1 TO 2 FEET IS EXPECTED FROM EDISTO BEACH NORTHWARD
ALONG THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST...RESULTING IN STORM TIDES OF 7 TO
8 FEET. THESE LEVELS WILL PRODUCE MINOR TO MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING
OF THE BARRIER ISLANDS AND AREAS AROUND THE CHARLESTON HARBOR. AT
THIS TIME...THE HIGHEST SURGE POTENTIAL WILL BE CENTERED ACROSS
NORTHEAST CHARLESTON COUNTY NEAR THE BULLS BAY...CAPE ROMAIN AND
MCCLELLANVILLE AREAS. FROM EDISTO BEACH SOUTH TO THE SAVANNAH AREA
THE OFFSHORE WINDS WILL KEEP STORM SURGE VALUES AT 1 FOOT OR LESS.

...WINDS...
WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE AT THEIR HIGHEST IN
ASSOCIATION WITH ERNESTO.

WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT TROPICAL STORM FORCE ACROSS CHARLESTON AND
BERKELEY COUNTIES...AS WELL AS THE CHANCE OF TROPICAL STORM WIND
GUSTS IN PARTS OF DORCHESTER AND COLLETON COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON.

IN CHARLESTON COUNTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON WILL REACH BETWEEN 30
AND 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 50 OR 60 MPH ALONG THE COAST AND IN THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR THROUGH
THIS EVENING...WITH THE HIGHEST SUSTAINED WINDS MAINLY FROM THE
CHARLESTON METRO AREA TO NEAR MCCLELLANVILLE.

IN BERKELEY COUNTY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30
MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH NEAR LAKE MOULTRIE AND OVER THE EASTERN
PART OF THE COUNTY. THE RESULTING LARGE WAVE ACTION ON LAKE MOULTRIE
MAY CAUSE SOME DOCK AND PIER DAMAGE...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN HALF OF LAKE.

IN DORCHESTER COUNTY WINDS WILL REACH BETWEEN 20 AND 25 MPH...WITH
GUSTS TO 35 MPH. THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL LIKELY BE IN THE SUMMERVILLE
AREA.

IN BEAUFORT...COASTAL COLLETON AND JASPER COUNTY WINDS WILL REACH
BETWEEN 20 AND 25 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH ESPECIALLY NEAR THE
COAST. WINDS ACROSS INLAND COLLETON COUNTY WILL BE MAINLY 20 MPH OR
LESS.

WINDS ACROSS THE GEORGIA COASTAL COUNTIES WILL BE MAINLY LESS THAN
20 MPH...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 30 OR 35 MPH.

MOTORISTS...ESPECIALLY THOSE DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES...SHOULD
USE EXTREME CAUTION ON ELEVATED BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES IN CHARLESTON
AND BERKELEY COUNTIES THROUGH THIS EVENING...AS DRIVING CONDITIONS
WILL BE HAZARDOUS AT TIMES. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT BRIDGE ACCESS
POINTS MAY BE CLOSED DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS.

...INLAND FLOODING...
TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE EXPECTED TO
REACH 3 TO 5 INCHES IN CHARLESTON...BERKELEY AND DORCHESTER
COUNTIES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. AS A RESULT...A FLOOD WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA THROUGH THIS
EVENING. THE HEAVY RAINS MAY ALSO RESULT IN ROAD CLOSURES. IF YOU
MUST BE DRIVING...PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A
PARTICULAR ROAD BEFORE LEAVING FOR YOUR DESTINATION.

...TORNADOES...
THERE REMAINS A SMALL CHANCE OF A TORNADO THIS AFTERNOON EAST OF A
CHARLESTON TO MONCKS CORNER LINE. 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.

...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...
THERE IS A HIGH OF RIP CURRENTS THIS AFTERNOON 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 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. ONLY MINOR TO
MODERATE BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTH GEORGIA
COAST...WITH OFFSHORE WINDS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AROUND 6 PM...OR SOONER IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

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

$$

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