[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 311917
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-312315-

TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
315 PM EDT THU AUG 31 2006


...TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO IS NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH...

...NEW INFORMATION...
STORM STATUS HAS BEEN UPDATED.
STORM SURGE FORECAST HAS BEEN UPDATED.

....AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...

GEORGETOWN AND HORRY...

AND IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...

BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER AND PENDER

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT ALONG THE
COAST FROM THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO SURF CITY
NORTH CAROLINA. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TODAY INTO
TONIGHT...AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE.
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT FOR HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
THE AREA. A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK
COUNTIES.
A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COLUMBUS AND BLADEN COUNTIES.

...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 100 MILES SOUTH
OF GEORGETOWN SOUTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF
SOUTHPORT NORTH CAROLINA.
ERNESTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 17 MPH. ON THIS
FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF ERNESTO IS EXPECTED TO BRUSH GEORGETOWN
THIS EVENING AND MOVE INLAND NEAR THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE LINE
BEFORE MIDNIGHT. ERNESTO IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE PIEDMONT
AND COASTAL PLAIN OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

ERNESTO HAS BECOME MORE ORGANIZED...AND MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE
NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS
993 MB...29.32 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
DAYLIGHT HOURS TO RUSH PREPARATIONS TO COMPLETION BEFORE THE WEATHER
DETERIORATES FURTHER. SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS AND PREPARE FOR HEAVY
RAIN.

MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST
INFORMATION...AND IN CASE FLOOD OR TORNADO WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
HIGH TIDE WAS BETWEEN 1 AND 2 PM...AND WATER LEVELS WERE LESS THAN 1
FOOT ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TIDE. AS THE CENTER OF ERNESTO APPROACHES...
MAXIMUM WIND STORM SURGE WILL BE NEAR THE TIME OF LOW TIDE...BETWEEN
7 AND 9 PM. THE SURGE IS FORECAST TO EXCEED THE TIDE BY THREE TO
FIVE FEET...WITH THE HIGHEST SURGE ALONG THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY COAST.
SALT WATER FLOODING EFFECTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MINOR ALONG THE
GEORGETOWN...NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTY COASTS...AND MINOR TO
MODERATE ALONG THE NORTHERN HORRY AND BRUNSWICK COUNTY COAST.

...WINDS...
ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST...GEORGETOWN AND HORRY COUNTY
REPORTED WIND GUSTS 20 TO 30 MPH...AND ELSEWHERE GUSTS WITH HEAVY
SHOWERS WERE 20 TO 30 MPH. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING ON THE GEORGETOWN
COUNTY COAST AND ACROSS HORRY COUNTY...SPREADING NORTH INTO NORTH
CAROLINA THIS EVENING WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH...MAINLY IN COLUMBUS...BLADEN...PENDER AND
NEW HANOVER...AND POTENTIALLY GUSTS HIGHER THAN 60 MPH ACROSS THE
COASTAL AREAS OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY AND ACROSS BALD HEAD ISLAND. WINDS
WILL DIMINISH FROM THE SOUTH LATER TONIGHT.

...INLAND FLOODING...
AREAS OF HEAVY RAINFALL HAVE CAUSED WIDESPREAD PONDING AND SOME ROAD
CLOSURES IN NEW HANOVER AND NORTHERN BRUNSWICK COUNTIES...AND
PONDING WAS REPORTED IN COLUMBUS COUNTIES. RADAR ESTIMATES SHOWED
AREAS OF 5 TO 6 INCH RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN NEW HANOVER AND
NORTHERN BRUNSWICK COUNTIES.
THREE TO SIX INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA WITH
FOUR TO EIGHT INCHES ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER
AMOUNTS. PONDING ON ROADWAYS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD..ESPECIALLY
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE NIGHT. RIVER LEVELS ARE WELL
BELOW FLOOD STAGE...BUT COULD RAPIDLY RISE IF HEAVY RAINFALL
DEVELOPS OVER THE HEADWATERS.

...TORNADOES...
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT...MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND
EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF ERNESTO MOVES. TORNADOES IN LAND FALLING
TROPICAL SYSTEMS ARE GENERALLY SMALL AND DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO
HEAVY RAINFALL. KEEP A BATTERY POWERED NOAA WEATHER RADIO NEARBY TO
WARN YOU OF APPROACHING HAZARDS.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION...
SURF WILL LIKELY BUILD AS HIGH AS 9 FT BY TONIGHT. MINOR TO MODERATE
BEACH EROSION IS LIKELY TO OCCUR IN MANY AREAS.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
WILMINGTON AROUND 6 PM.


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