[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KCHS 291629
HLSCHS

AMZ330-350-352-SCZ043>045-048>051-291900-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1222 PM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004

...CENTER OF GASTON MOVING THROUGH BERKELEY COUNTY...
...STRONG RAIN BANDS CONTINUE TO POUND THE TRI COUNTY AREA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS OF
BERKELEY...DORCHESTER...INLAND COLLETON...COASTAL COLLETON...
COASTAL JASPER...CHARLESTON AND BEAUFORT COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH
SOUTH CAROLINA TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SOUTH CAROLINA.

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR DORCHESTER...BERKELEY...AND
CHARLESTON COUNTIES THROUGH MIDNIGHT MONDAY MORNING.

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

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 33.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.5 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST
OF CHARLESTON.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  GASTON IS MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 8 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MOST BRIDGES REMAIN CLOSED ACROSS THE CHARLESTON COUNTY AREA.  THE
TALLEST BRIDGES WILL LIKELY BE REOPENED LATER TODAY AFTER THE
STRONGEST WINDS HAS MOVED NORTH OF THE AREA.   DRIVING ON AREA ROADS
REMAINS VERY DANGEROUS AS TREES... LIMBS...AND POWERLINES ARE DOWN
ACROSS THE AREA. UNTIL ROAD CREWS GET OUT AND START WITH THE DEBRIS
REMOVAL...ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS AND OFF AREA ROADS AND
HIGHWAYS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
AREAS TO THE NORTH OF CHARLESTON HARBOR WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW STORM
TIDES OF 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE PREDICTED LEVELS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.  AS THE STORM MOVES NORTH...OFFSHORE WINDS WILL HELP TO LOWER
TIDES TO NEAR PREDICTED LEVELS.  THE THREAT FOR COASTAL
FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER AS GASTON EXITS TO
THE NORTH.  THE NEXT HIGH TIDE AT CHARLESTON HARBOR WILL OCCUR AT 831
PM.

...WIND IMPACTS...
BANDS OF HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50
MPH ACROSS DORCHESTER...CHARLESTON...AND BERKELEY COUNTIES THROUGH 2
PM.  THE STRONGEST WINDS OF 55 TO 65 MPH WILL LIKELY OCCUR IN AN AREA
FROM MONCKS CORNER...UP THROUGH LAKE MOULTRIE INCLUDING THE SAINT
STEPHEN AREA.  COASTAL AREAS OF CHARLESTON COUNTY SHOULD SEE A
CONTINUED DECREASE IN WIND SPEEDS AS GASTON MOVE NORTHWARD THROUGH
BERKELEY COUNTY.

TREES...LIMBS...AND POWERLINES HAVE BEEN REPORTED DOWN IN SECTIONS OF
SUMMERVILLE...MOUNT PLEASANT...AND ISLE OF PALMS.  POWER OUTAGES ARE
BEING REPORTED ACROSS MANY SECTIONS OF DORCHESTER...CHARLESTON...AND
BERKELEY COUNTIES.  OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND RESIDENTS ACROSS THE
TRI COUNTY AREA ARE WITHOUT POWER.

...SEAS AND RIP CURRENTS...
SEAS WILL BE ROUGH THIS AFTERNOON BUT WILL SLOWLY START TO RECEDE AS
OFFSHORE WESTERLY WINDS PREVAIL.  SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.
SEAS OF 6 TO 15 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA COASTAL
WATERS. AS SWELL BREAKS ALONG BEACHES THIS AFTERNOON...DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS WILL BE LIKELY.  STAY OFF THE BEACHES.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
FLOODING RAINS CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM WITH WIDESPREAD FLOODING
BEING REPORTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CHARLESTON COUNTY MAINLY EAST OF
THE COOPER RIVER...ALONG WITH AREAS OF BERKELEY COUNTY.  RADAR
ESTIMATES THAT 10 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF
COASTAL CHARLESTON COUNTY SINCE EARLY THIS MORNING.  FLOODING IS
BEING REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON AS 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN
THIS MORNING.

ADDITIONAL RAIN TOTALS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES...WITH SOME ADDITIONAL TOTALS
AS HIGH AS 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF BERKELEY
COUNTY.  FLOODING WILL REMAIN A PROBLEM THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON
HOURS UNTIL THE RAIN AND WIND STARTS TO SUBSIDE.

...TORNADOES...
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON 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.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AROUND 3 PM.

$$

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