[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KCHS 281527
HLSCHS

AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ116>119-138>141-SCZ043-047>051-281930-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1101 AM EDT SAT AUG 28 2004

...TROPICAL DEPRESSION SEVEN HAS STRENGTHENED AND IS NOW TROPICAL
STORM GASTON...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER TO LITTLE RIVER INLET.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ELSEWHERE ALONG THE
SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST NORTH OF LITTLE RIVER INLET TO SURF CITY
NORTH CAROLINA...AND SOUTH OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER TO FERNANDINA
BEACH FLORIDA.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS OF
MCINTOSH...LIBERTY...BRYAN...AND CHATHAM COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST
GEORGIA AND BEAUFORT...JASPER...COLLETON...AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES IN
SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE
GEORGIA COAST.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.5 WEST OR ABOUT 130 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. GASTON IS DRIFTING TOWARD THE WEST AND A SLOW MOTION
TOWARD THE WEST OR WEST NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS. ON ITS CURRENT FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF GASTON IS EXPECTED
TO MAKE LANDFALL ON THE COAST OF CHARLESTON COUNTY NEAR DOWNTOWN
CHARLESTON AROUND 8 PM EDT SUNDAY.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
BECAUSE GASTON IS FORECAST TO REMAIN A WEAK TROPICAL STORM AS IT
APPROACHES THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST...STORM SURGE WILL BE MINIMAL.
HOWEVER ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY EVENINGS COMBINED
WITH STRONG ONSHORE WINDS...WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF COASTAL
FLOODING AND SIGNIFICANT BEACH EROSION. STORM TIDES OF 1 TO 3 FEET
ABOVE PREDICTED LEVELS MAY OCCUR MAINLY ON THE BEACHES NEAR
CHARLESTON. OFFSHORE WINDS OVER THE GEORGIA COAST AND SOUTHERN SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST WILL LIMIT THE STORM TIDE SOUTH OF BEAUFORT.

THE HIGHEST PREDICTED TIDES FOR CHARLESTON HARBOR ARE AT 740 PM
THIS EVENING...AND 831 PM SUNDAY EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF THE
EXPECTED TIME OF LANDFALL OF GASTON WITH THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE MAY
DRIVE TIDE LEVELS ABOVE 8 FEET SUNDAY NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN
CHARLESTON...CREATING MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING PROBLEMS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS AND ALONG
THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND
ARE EXPECTED TO REACH TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATE TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE INTO EARLY SUNDAY NIGHT. BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST
TRACK...WINDS ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST WILL REMAIN BELOW TROPICAL
STORM STRENGTH. WHILE THE CURRENT TRACK SHOWS LITTLE WIND EFFECTS FOR
COASTAL GEORGIA...A SHIFT IN THE EXPECTED FORECAST TRACK MAY INCREASE
FORECAST WIND SPEEDS ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST.  ALL RESIDENTS UNDER
THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH SHOULD PREPARE FOR TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AS GASTON
APPROACHES THE COAST. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. SEAS OF 6 TO
10 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS LATE TONIGHT INTO
SUNDAY.  AS SWELL BREAKS ALONG BEACHES THIS AFTERNOON INTO
SUNDAY...DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL BE LIKELY.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
WITH THE CURRENT INTENSITY FORECAST...FLOODING RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE
MAINLY ACROSS THE LOWCOUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL
TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
CLOSE TO THE FORECAST TRACK...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. LESSER
RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST. WITH THE
GROUND STILL FAIRLY SATURATED FROM RECENT RAINS...FLOODING IS
POSSIBLE. A FLOOD WATCH MAY BE ISSUED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT.

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

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AROUND 330 PM .

$$

AUSTIN
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