[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[Nashville EMWIN]

WTUS82 KCHS 291918
HLSCHS
AMZ330-350-352-SCZ043>045-048>051-292200-

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

...CENTER OF GASTON EXITING THE AREA...
...FLOODING RAINS CONTINUE OVER BERKELEY COUNTY...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS SPECIFIC ACTIONS BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS OF
BERKELEY...DORCHESTER...INLAND COLLETON...COASTAL COLLETON...
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 2 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 33.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST OR ABOUT 75 MILES SOUTH OF
FLORENCE. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 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 IN THE TRI COUNTY AREA ARE NOW BACK OPEN.  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...
AREA TIDE DEPARTURES AND SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER AS OFFSHORE
WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS THE COASTAL AREAS.  THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL
COASTAL FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH THROUGH
THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS.
THE NEXT HIGH TIDE AT CHARLESTON HARBOR WILL OCCUR AT 831 PM.

...WIND IMPACTS...
BANDS OF HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE TO BRING WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH
ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF BERKELEY COUNTY.  ELSEWHERE...OUTSIDE OF
THE HEAVY RAIN AREAS...SUSTAINED WESTERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON...MAINLY ACROSS DORCHESTER
AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES.

TREES...LIMBS...AND POWERLINES HAVE BEEN REPORTED DOWN IN MANY
SECTIONS OF
DORCHESTER...CHARLESTON...AND BERKELEY COUNTIES.  MANY ROADS REMAIN
CLOSED DUE TO DEBRIS.  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 5 TO 10 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...AND MOST RECENTLY
NORTHERN BERKELEY COUNTY WHERE RAINFALL ESTIMATES OF 10 TO 12 INCHES
OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE MID MORNING.  SHELTERS ARE BEING OPENED IN
THE SAINT STEPHEN AREA TO ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS FORCED FROM THEIR
HOMES DUE TO FLOODING.  MANY AREAS AROUND LAKE MOULTRIE OVER TO
JAMESTOWN WILL BE FLOODED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS WITH MANY ROADS
WASHED OUT OR CLOSED.

ADDITIONAL RAIN TOTALS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE WESTERN
HALF OF BERKELEY COUNTY.  FLOODING WILL REMAIN A PROBLEM THROUGH THE
LATE AFTERNOON HOURS UNTIL THE RAIN STARTS TO SUBSIDE...WHICH WILL
LIKELY BE DURING THE EVENING HOURS.

...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 TROPICAL STORM GASTON LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AROUND 6 PM.

$$
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