[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KILM 290715
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099>101-SCZ024-032>034-039-046-
291015-

TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
310 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 2 AM...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE  79.4 WEST....ABOUT 65 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON AND 115 MILES SOUTH OF MYRTLE BEACH.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS  992 MB...29.29 INCHES.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 65 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
GASTON IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE REACHING THE SOUTH
CAROLINA COAST.

GASTON IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. THE CENTER
OF GASTON IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST EARLY 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 THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING...AND WEAKEN
FURTHER AS IT CROSSES SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA NEAR SUNRISE 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 LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
BOAT OWNERS SHOULD TAKE ACTION NOW AND SECURE THEIR BOATS FOR HIGH
WIND CONDITIONS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
THROUGH 5 AM...AS GASTON APPROACHES...THE THREAT OF ISOLATED
TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH SQUALLS WILL BE MAINLY IN
GEORGETOWN...HORRY AND WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES. THE TORNADO THREAT
WILL SPREAD INTO MARION...FLORENCE AND DILLON COUNTIES LATER THIS
MORNING...NEAR AND AHEAD OF THE CENTER OF THE STORM.

AT 3 AM...WINDS IN THE GEORGETOWN AREA WERE GUSTING NEAR 25
MPH...WHILE AT MYRTLE BEACH WINDS WERE GUSTING NEAR 20 MPH.
SOUTHERN GEORGETOWN AND SOUTHERN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES WILL FIRST
EXPERIENCE GALE FORCE WINDS AROUND SUNRISE...GUSTING NEAR 50 MPH BY
LATE MORNING. DURING THE AFTERNOON...GALE FORCE WINDS WILL SPREAD
ACROSS THE PEE DEE REGION...AS THE CENTER OF GASTON CAUSES STRONGER
GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH IN SOUTHERN GEORGETOWN AND WILLIAMSBURG
COUNTIES. THE CENTER OF THE WEAKENING STORM WILL SLOWLY CROSS THE
PEE DEE REGION AFTER SUNDOWN INTO THE NIGHT...AND WILL MOVE INTO
NORTH CAROLINA AFTER 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...
HIGH TIDE THIS MORNING WILL OCCUR AROUND 7 AM...AND IN SOUTHERN
GEORGETOWN COUNTY AN INCREASING ONSHORE WIND WILL CAUSE TIDES ABOUT
A FOOT OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL...WITH MINOR COASTAL FLOODING EXPECTED.
DURING THE DAY...AN INCREASING ONSHORE WIND WILL MAINTAIN THE TIDE
NEAR THE HIGH TIDE LEVEL. THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK OF GASTON HAS
THE CENTER MAKING LANDFALL IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AROUND THE TIME
OF LOW TIDE...BETWEEN 1 AND 2 PM...MINIMIZING THE STORM TIDE TO ONE
COMPARABLE TO A NORMAL HIGH TIDE IN THE GEORGETOWN AREA AND ALONG
THE GRAND STRAND INTO HORRY COUNTY.

CONTINUING ONSHORE WINDS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND
POTENTIAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A 2 FOOT
SURGE AND MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE GRAND STRAND...
ESPECIALLY AROUND MURRELLS INLET...GARDEN CITY AND SURFSIDE
BEACH...WITH THE NEXT HIGH TIDE AROUND 8 PM. WITH THE EVENING HIGH
TIDE...A 3 TO 4 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED IN WINYAH BAY AND ALONG THE
SOUTHERN WACCAMAW RIVER FROM GEORGETOWN TO NEAR RUINSVILLE. 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...AND PARTS OF GEORGETOWN COUNTY HAVE HAD MORE THAN 2
INCHES OF RAIN THIS MORNING...WITH PONDING REPORTED ON ROADS IN THE
CITY OF GEORGETOWN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE...AND SOME AREAS MAY GET CONSIDERABLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. FLOOD
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 6 AM.

$$
TM




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