[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 312228
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-010215-

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

...TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO APPROACHING - CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO
DETERIORATE THIS EVENING...

...NEW INFORMATION...
STORM STATUS 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 FOR THE
COASTAL COUNTIES FROM THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO
SURF CITY NORTH CAROLINA. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST
INTO TONIGHT...AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE.
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE AREA.
A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COLUMBUS AND BLADEN COUNTIES.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.7 WEST...OR ABOUT 60 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF GEORGETOWN SOUTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 100 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 MOVE INLAND
ALONG THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY COAST BEFORE MIDNIGHT. ERNESTO IS THEN
FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN OF EASTERN
NORTH CAROLINA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ESTIMATED
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 991 MB...29.26 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION BEFORE THE WEATHER
DETERIORATES FURTHER. SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS AND PREPARE FOR HEAVY
RAIN AND POSSIBLE FLOODING.

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...
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...HORRY...NEW HANOVER
AND PENDER COUNTY COASTS...AND MINOR TO MODERATE ALONG THE BRUNSWICK
COUNTY COAST.

...WINDS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED AT MANY LOCATIONS
ALONG THE COAST...INCLUDING THE MYRTLE BEACH INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...SOUTHPORT AND WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH. OTHERWISE...WIND GUSTS
HAVE GENERALLY RANGED FROM 20 TO 30 MPH.

SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE...30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 60 MPH...ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST THIS EVENING...THEN SPREAD NORTH ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA COAST DURING THE MID TO LATE EVENING HOURS.
HOWEVER...WIND GUSTS COULD EXCEED 60 MPH ALONG THE BRUNSWICK AND
PORTIONS OF THE NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTY COASTS NEAR AND TO THE
EAST OF WHERE ERNESTO MAKES LANDFALL. WINDS WILL DIMINISH FROM THE
SOUTH LATER TONIGHT.

...INLAND FLOODING...
AREAS OF HEAVY RAINFALL HAVE CAUSED FLOODING AND SOME ROAD CLOSURES
IN NEW HANOVER AND NORTHERN BRUNSWICK COUNTIES. RADAR ESTIMATES
SHOWED AREAS OF 6 TO 8 INCH RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN NEW HANOVER
AND NORTHERN BRUNSWICK COUNTIES. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN
IS EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST...AND 3 TO 6 INCHES ALONG
THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.
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 THE CENTER OF ERNESTO. TORNADOES IN LAND FALLING
TROPICAL SYSTEMS ARE GENERALLY SMALL AND DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO
HEAVY RAINFALL. KEEP A BATTERY POWERED NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL
HAZARDS NEARBY TO WARN YOU OF APPROACHING HAZARDOUS WEATHER.

...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION...
SURF WILL LIKELY BUILD AS HIGH AS 8 TO 10 FT ALONG THE BEACHES OF
CAPE FEAR...AND 6 TO 8 FT ALONG THE GRAND STRAND BEACHES TONIGHT.
SIGNIFICANT BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER OF
ERNESTO... MAINLY ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN BRUNSWICK COUNTY AND
PORTIONS OF NEW HANOVER AND PENDER COUNTY. ELSEWHERE...MINOR TO
MODERATE BEACH EROSION IS LIKELY TO OCCUR.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
WILMINGTON AROUND 9 PM.

$$

JAQ
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