[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KILM 010436
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ097-100-101-SCZ034-046-010915-

TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1230 AM EDT FRI SEP 1 2006

...TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO MAKES LANDFALL AT LONG BEACH IN BRUNSWICK
COUNTY...

...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 12 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 33.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.2 WEST...OR ABOUT 25
MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA.

ERNESTO WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 18 MPH. ERNESTO
HAS MADE LANDFALL IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY AT LONG BEACH AT 11:30 PM. IT
IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN OF EASTERN
NORTH CAROLINA BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEAKENING
IS FORECAST AS THE STORM MOVES INLAND OVER NORTH CAROLINA. THE
LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER WAS 988 MB...29.18 INCHES.

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 MOVES INLAND THE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE
NORTH AND NORTHWEST. WITH HIGH TIDE COMING UP AND TIDES RUNNING
ABOUT A FOOT OR SO ABOVE NORMAL THE WINDS WILL HELP TO PUSH THE
WATER AWAY FROM THE COAST. SALT WATER FLOODING EFFECTS ARE EXPECTED
TO BE MINOR ALONG HORRY COUNTY AND MINOR TO MODERATE ALONG NEW
HANOVER...PENDER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES.

...WINDS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH TO AROUND 70 MPH HAVE
BEEN OBSERVED AT A FEW LOCATIONS ALONG THE COAST...INCLUDING SUNNY
POINT...WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH AND SURF CITY. OTHERWISE...WIND GUSTS
HAVE GENERALLY RANGED FROM 35 TO 50 MPH.

SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR TROPICAL STORM FORCE...35 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 60 MPH...ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD NORTH INTO PENDER COUNTY DURING
THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. WINDS WILL START TO SLACKEN OFF ACROSS
SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE NEXT FEW
HOURS. OVER THE COASTAL WATERS FRYING PAN SHOALS BUOY IS REPORTING
SUSTAIN WINDS OF 54 MPH WITH 19 FOOT SEAS.

...INLAND FLOODING...
AREAS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE ACROSS BRUNSWICK...NEW
HANOVER...PENDER...COLUMBUS...BLADEN AND HORRY COUNTIES FOR THE NEXT
FEW HOURS. FLOODING HAS CAUSED ROAD CLOSURES IN NEW HANOVER...
COLUMBUS...PENDER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES. RADAR ESTIMATES SHOWED
AREAS OF 10 TO 12 INCH RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN NEW HANOVER AND
NORTHERN BRUNSWICK COUNTIES. AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR SO OF RAIN IS
EXPECTED IN HORRY COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA AND 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THE
COUNTIES OF SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. RIVER LEVELS ARE WELL BELOW
FLOOD STAGE...BUT COULD RAPIDLY RISE AS HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES
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 ONLY A SLIGHT POSSIBILITY THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS...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 HAS BUILT AS HIGH AS 8 TO 10 FT ALONG THE BEACHES OF CAPE
FEAR...AND 6 TO 8 FT ALONG THE GRAND STRAND BEACHES AND WILL START
TO SUBSIDE ALONG THE GRAND STRAND OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
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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