[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 010057
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-010515-

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

...RAINBANDS MOVING ONTO THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINAS...TROPICAL
STORM ERNESTO NEARS THE COAST...

...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 8 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 33.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.3 WEST...OR ABOUT 75 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.

ERNESTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 18 MPH. ON THIS
FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF ERNESTO IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INLAND
ALONG THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY COAST BEFORE 11 PM. ERNESTO IS THEN
FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN OF EASTERN
NORTH CAROLINA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE
LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER WAS
988 MB...29.18 INCHES.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY NOW AS THE WEATHER DETERIORATES
FURTHER. PREPARE FOR HEAVY RAIN...POSSIBLE FLOODING AND STRONG WINDS.

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 NEARS THE COAST...MAXIMUM WIND STORM SURGE
WILL BE NEAR THE TIME OF LOW TIDE WHICH HAS JUST OCCURRED. 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 OVER 45 MPH TO AROUND 50 MPH HAVE
BEEN OBSERVED AT MANY LOCATIONS ALONG THE COAST...INCLUDING SUNNY
POINT...THE WATER FRONT AT SOUTHPORT AND WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH.
OTHERWISE...WIND GUSTS HAVE GENERALLY RANGED FROM 25 TO 35 MPH.

SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE...35 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 60 MPH...ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD NORTH ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA COAST DURING THE 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. OVER THE COASTAL WATERS FRYING PAN SHOALS BUOY IS REPORTING
SUSTAIN WINDS OF 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 57 MPH WITH 15 FOOT SEAS.

...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 7 TO 9 INCH RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN NEW HANOVER
AND NORTHERN BRUNSWICK COUNTIES. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN
IS EXPECTED IN HORRY COUNTY 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.
PILING OF WATER UP THE CAPE FEAR RIVER WILL CAUSE SOME FLOODING ON
THE TRIBUTARIES IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WALDEN
CREEK AND TOWN CREEK AND ALSO UP THE LOCKWOOD FOLLY RIVER AND THE
ROYAL OAK SWAMP.

...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 MIDNIGHT.

$$

MAC



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