[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KILM 291313
HLSILM
AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-097-099>101-SCZ017-023-024-032>034-039-
046-291545-

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

...GASTON MAKING LANDFALL NEAR BULLS BAY SOUTH CAROLINA...

...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 8 AM...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 32.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST...ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHEAST
OF CHARLESTON...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GEORGETOWN...AND 65 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MYRTLE BEACH.

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

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 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 9 MPH. GASTON COULD BECOME A
HURRICANE PRIOR TO MAKING LANDFALL BETWEEN CHARLESTON AND GEORGETOWN
THIS MORNING.

AFTER MAKING LANDFALL...GASTON WILL MOVE INLAND AND GRADUALLY WEAKEN
AS GALE FORCE WINDS SPREAD ACROSS THE 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 LATE TONIGHT AND 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...
THERE IS A RISK OF ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS THE AREA TODAY...BUT
THE HIGHEST RISK IS ALONG AND EAST OF THE PATH OF GASTON AS IT MOVES
UP THE PEE DEE REGION.

AT 830 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 CONTINUE
TO SPREAD NORTH AND WEST 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 OCCURRED BETWEEN 7 AND 8 AM...AND IN SOUTHERN
GEORGETOWN COUNTY AN INCREASING ONSHORE WIND WILL CAUSE TIDES ABOUT
2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...WITH MINOR TO MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING
EXPECTED...WHILE HORRY COUNTY TIDES WILL BE 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
WITH MINOR FLOODING EXPECTED. DURING THE DAY...SUSTAINED ONSHORE
WINDS WILL CAUSE THE TIDE TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE BELOW 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...A 1 TO 2 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED WITH
LITTLE COASTAL FLOODING THIS EVENING.

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. SURF WILL BE 4 TO 6 FEET. 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 2 TO 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 WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE COASTAL
COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA CAN EXPECT 1 TO 3 INCHES. 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 BY 1130 AM.

$$
MAC









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