[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KILM 290415
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099>101-SCZ024-032>034-039-046-
290715-

TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1212 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004

...GASTON CONTINUES TO MOVE SLOWLY TOWARD THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...BRUNSWICK...NEW HANOVER...PENDER...
COLUMBUS...BLADEN AND ROBESON. IN NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...
GEORGETOWN...HORRY...WILLIAMSBURG...FLORENCE...MARION AND DILLON.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE COASTAL WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH
CAROLINA TO SURF CITY NORTH CAROLINA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE ENTIRE SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA
COAST AS FAR NORTH AS SURF CITY.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND COUNTIES
OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA PEE DEE AREA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA
WEST TO HIGHWAY I-95.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FOR THE POTENTIAL OF HEAVY
RAIN.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 PM...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 31.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE  79.2 WEST...ABOUT 90 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON AND 135 MILES SOUTH OF MYRTLE BEACH.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 65 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  GASTON IS
FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN AND COULD BECOME A HURRICANE ON SUNDAY BEFORE
REACHING THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE
CENTER.

GASTON IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CENTER OF GASTON IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST OF SOUTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON.

AFTER MAKING LANDFALL...GASTON IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INLAND AND
GRADUALLY WEAKEN AS IT SLOWLY CROSSES THE PEE DEE REGION OF SOUTH
CAROLINA TODAY AND EARLY MONDAY MORNING...AND CROSSES SOUTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA LATER ON MONDAY MORNING.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS SHOULD FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. STORE OR SECURE LAWN FURNITURE...
BARBECUE GRILLS...GARBAGE CANS AND OTHER LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS. BOAT
OWNERS SHOULD TAKE ACTION NOW AND SECURE THEIR BOATS FOR HIGH WIND
CONDITIONS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
AS GASTON APPROACHES...THE THREAT OF TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH
SQUALLS WILL INCREASE DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...MAINLY IN
GEORGETOWN AND WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES. THE TORNADO THREAT WILL SPREAD
NORTH INTO HORRY...MARION...FLORENCE AND DILLON COUNTIES DURING THE
DAY...NEAR AND AHEAD OF THE CENTER OF THE STORM.

GEORGETOWN AND WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES WILL FIRST EXPERIENCE
INCREASING WINDS DURING THE MORNING AROUND SUNRISE...REACHING 45 TO
55 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS AND SPREADING TOWARD THE NORTH CAROLINA
LINE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE CENTER OF THE WEAKENING
STORM WILL CROSS THE PEE DEE REGION AFTER SUNDOWN AND MOVE INTO
NORTH CAROLINA NEAR MIDNIGHT.

IN NORTH CAROLINA..GIVEN THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO GUST AROUND TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH IN THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS ON MONDAY...WITH WINDS DIMINISHING BELOW TROPICAL STORM
STRENGTH AFTER SUNRISE. HOWEVER...THE THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES
WILL CONTINUE AS THE CENTER OF WEAKENING GASTON MOVES THROUGH THE
AREA.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET NEAR WHERE THE
STORM MAKES LANDFALL. HIGH TIDE THIS MORNING WILL BE 7:30 AM...AND
LOW TIDE WILL BE AROUND 1 TO 2 PM. THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF
GASTON HAS THE CENTER MAKING LANDFALL IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON...
AROUND THE TIME OF LOW TIDE.

CONTINUING ONSHORE WINDS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND
POTENTIAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF COASTAL
FLOODING ALONG THE GRAND STRAND...ESPECIALLY IN THE CHERRY GROVE AND
GARDEN CITY BEACH AREAS..AT THE TIME OF THE NEXT HIGH TIDE AROUND 8
PM. FLOOD PRONE AREAS IN SOUTHERN GEORGETOWN COUNTY NEAR WINYAH BAY
AND THE MOUTH OF THE SANTEE RIVERS WILL ALSO NEED TO BE MONITORED.
MODERATE BEACH EROSION IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...MAINLY IN GUSTS...AND INCREASED SEAS
WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL WATERS ALONG THE GRAND
STRAND TODAY. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ON THE NORTH CAROLINA WATERS
ARE NOT EXPECTED UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MARINERS
SHOULD EXPECT TO STAY IN PORT. THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS
ON SUNDAY.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN IN SPOTS DURING THE PAST
FEW DAYS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...AND SOME
AREAS MAY GET CONSIDERABLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. FLOODING IS POSSIBLE AND
WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS DEVELOP.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS TROPICAL SYSTEM CAN BE FOUND IN
ADVISORIES ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...AND IN PUBLIC
INFORMATION STATEMENTS AND SHORT TERM FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN WILMINGTON.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON AROUND 3 AM.

$$
TM



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