[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KILM 291034
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099>101-SCZ017-023-024-032>034-039-
046-291315-

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

...GASTON IS NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH AND NEAR 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...
DARLINGTON...MARLBORO 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 WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FOR THE POTENTIAL OF HEAVY
RAIN...AND A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 AM...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.5 WEST...ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF CHARLESTON...60 MILES SOUTH OF GEORGETOWN...AND 90 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHWEST OF MYRTLE BEACH.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 991 MB...29.26 INCHES.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED AND WERE NEAR 70 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS.  TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60
MILES FROM THE CENTER.

GASTON WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 7 MPH. GASTON IS EXPECTED TO
BECOME A HURRICANE PRIOR TO MAKING LANDFALL. THE CENTER OF GASTON
IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST BETWEEN
CHARLESTON AND GEORGETOWN LATE THIS MORNING.

AFTER MAKING LANDFALL...GASTON WILL MOVE INLAND AND GRADUALLY WEAKEN
AS GALE FORCE WINDS SPREAD ACROSS PEE DEE REGION OF SOUTH
CAROLINA...AND SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THE REMNANTS OF GASTON WILL WEAKEN FURTHER AS THE CENTER CROSSES
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA EARLY 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...
AT 6 AM...RAIN BANDS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH WINDS
GUSTING 25 TO 45 MPH WERE CIRCULATING ACROSS NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA. THE RAINBANDS WILL SPREAD
NORTH THIS MORNING.
AS THE CENTER OF GASTON MOVES NORTH...STRONGER WINDS WILL SPREAD
OVER THE AREA...WITH FREQUENT GUSTS 60 TO 70 MPH IN GEORGETOWN AND
WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES LATE THIS MORNING. AS GASTON WEAKENS...
FREQUENT GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH WILL SPREAD INTO FLORENCE...
MARION...DILLON AND HORRY COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON. THE INLAND
COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA WILL HAVE FREQUENT GUSTS 40 TO 50 MPH
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE NIGHT.  THE NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL
COUNTIES NEAR CAPE FEAR WILL HAVE WIND GUSTS NEAR TROPICAL STORM
STRENGTH.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
MORNING TIDES WERE RUNNING NEAR ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL AT MYRTLE
BEACH...AND 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IN WINYAH BAY NEAR GEORGETOWN.

HIGH TIDE THIS MORNING WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 7 AND 8 AM...AND IN
SOUTHERN GEORGETOWN COUNTY AN INCREASING ONSHORE WIND WILL CAUSE
TIDES ABOUT 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...WITH MINOR TO MODERATE
COASTAL FLOODING EXPECTED...WHILE HORRY COUNTY TIDES WILL BE 1 TO 3
FEET ABOVE NORMAL WITH MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING EXPECTED. DURING
THE DAY...SUSTAINED ONSHORE WINDS WILL MAINTAIN THE TIDE NEAR THE
HIGH TIDE LEVEL..THROUGH THE TIME OF LOW TIDE AT 1 TO 2 PM. WITH THE
EVENING HIGH TIDE AROUND 8 PM...A 3 TO 4 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED
ALONG THE SOUTHERN WACCAMAW RIVER FROM GEORGETOWN TO NEAR WAVERLY
MILLS...AND A 2 TO 3 FOOT SURGE ON THE HORRY COUNTY AND BRUNSWICK
COUNTY BEACHES WILL CAUSE MINOR TO MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING. NORTH
OF CAPE FEAR...THE 1 TO 2 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED WITH LITTLE COASTAL
FLOODING.

MODERATE BEACH EROSION IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA WATERS WILL RANGE UP TO 16 FEET...WHILE
THE NORTH CAROLINA WATERS AROUND CAPE FEAR WILL HAVE SEAS RANGING TO
13 FEET TODAY. THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN IN SPOTS DURING THE PAST
FEW DAYS...AND RADAR ESTIMATES OF MORE THAN 4 INCHES OF RAIN WERE
DETECTED IN PARTS OF NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA THIS MORNING. GASTON
WILL MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES...AND SOME AREAS MAY GET HIGHER AMOUNTS.
FLOOD WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE TO 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 9 AM.

$$
TM






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