[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KCHS 290615
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ116>119-138>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-
291300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
213 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004

..GASTON BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS OF
INLAND MCINTOSH...COASTAL BRYAN...INLAND LIBERTY...INLAND BRYAN...
COASTAL LIBERTY...COASTAL MCINTOSH...BERKELEY...DORCHESTER...INLAND
COLLETON...ALLENDALE...HAMPTON...CHARLESTON...COASTAL COLLETON...
BEAUFORT...INLAND CHATHAM...INLAND JASPER...COASTAL JASPER AND
COASTAL CHATHAM COUNTIES.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE
GEORGIA COAST. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...IN
EXCESS OF 74 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH MEANS TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...BETWEEN 39 AND 73
MPH...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 36 HOURS.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH
MIDNIGHT MONDAY.

AN INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR BERKELEY AND
DORCHESTER COUNTIES THROUGH MIDNIGHT MONDAY.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.4 WEST OR ABOUT 65 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF CHARLESTON. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY TO OCCUR. GASTON IS MOVING
TO
THE NORTHWEST AT 5 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A
TURN TO THE NORTH DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. GASTON IS EXPECTED TO
MAKE LANDFALL ON THE CENTRAL CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST AS A MINIMAL
HURRICANE NEAR THE ISLE OF PALMS EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
AT 9 PM EDT...THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA...IN COOPERATION WITH
CHARLESTON COUNTY...HAS ASKED FOR A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION OF THE
BARRIER ISLANDS OF CHARLESTON COUNTY AS WELL AS LOW LYING AREAS. THIS
INCLUDES THE LOWER PENINSULA OF DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON. A VOLUNTARY
EVACUATION OF MOBILE HOMES THROUGHOUT CHARLESTON COUNTY IS ALSO
ENCOURAGED. ALL DRAW BRIDGES AND SWING BRIDGES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY
HAVE ALSO BEEN LOCKED DOWN TO ACCOMMODATE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES THIS MORNING COMBINED WITH STRONG ONSHORE
WINDS...WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF COASTAL FLOODING AND
SIGNIFICANT BEACH EROSION. STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED
LEVELS WILL OCCUR MAINLY ON THE BEACHES NEAR AND TO THE NORTHEAST OF
CHARLESTON...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN BAYS AND RIVERS.
OFFSHORE WINDS OVER THE GEORGIA COAST AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST WILL LIMIT THE STORM TIDE SOUTH OF BEAUFORT. HIGH TIDE WILL
OCCUR IN THE CHARLESTON HARBOR AT 749 AM TODAY...AT 906 AM AT
BEAUFORT AND AT 807 AM IN BULLS BAY.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS AND ALONG
THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST ARE ALREADY NEAR OR ABOVE TROPICAL STORM
STRENGTH. IF THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK HOLDS...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
AROUND 75 MPH MAY OCCUR BETWEEN 10 AM AND 2 PM ALONG THE CHARLESTON
COUNTY COAST... INCLUDING THE ISLE OF PALMS...FOLLY BEACH...DOWNTOWN
CHARLESTON...MOUNT PLEASANT AND SULLIVANS ISLAND.

FARTHER INLAND OVER DORCHESTER AND BERKELEY COUNTIES...WINDS TODAY
WILL BE 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH. FOR BEAUFORT AND COASTAL
COLLETON COUNTIES...WINDS WILL BE 25 TO 35 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS
TO 45 MPH...MAINLY ALONG THE BEACHES. WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED ACROSS HAMPTON...ALLENDALE AND JASPER COUNTIES.

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
15 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS TONIGHT INTO
SUNDAY...WITH THE HIGHEST SEAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA WATERS. AS SWELL
BREAKS ALONG BEACHES TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS
WILL BE LIKELY.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
WITH THE CURRENT INTENSITY FORECAST...FLOODING RAINS WILL BE LIKELY
MAINLY ACROSS THE LOWCOUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL
TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 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 LIKELY.
THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FLOOD SITUATION FOR DOWNTOWN
CHARLESTON.

...TORNADOES...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AND ON
SUNDAY...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA.

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

$$

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