[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KCHS 261651
HLSCHS

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE IRENE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1251 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011

...STRONG WIND GUSTS CONTINUE IN RAIN BANDS AS IRENE MOVES TOWARD
NORTH CAROLINA...

.NEW INFORMATION...
STORM INFORMATION UPDATED

.AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS LOCAL STATEMENT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND MARINE INTERESTS IN SELECT
LOCATIONS AND COASTAL WATER LEGS OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

.WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
INLAND BERKELEY...CHARLESTON AND TIDAL BERKELEY.

FOR MARINE INTERESTS...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR
ALL OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

ALTHOUGH TROPICAL CYCLONE WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE NOT IN EFFECT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...COASTAL BRYAN...COASTAL CHATHAM...
COASTAL LIBERTY...COASTAL MCINTOSH...BEAUFORT...COASTAL COLLETON
AND COASTAL JASPER...POSSIBLE IMPACTS FROM RELATED HAZARDS ARE
STILL A CONCERN.

PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST PUBLIC AND MARINE FORECASTS FOR DETAILED
INFORMATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL HAZARDS.

.STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRENE WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 30.7N...LONGITUDE 77.3W. THIS WAS ABOUT 210 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SC. STORM MOTION WAS N OR 360 DEGREES AT
14 MPH. STORM INTENSITY WAS 105 MPH.

.SITUATION OVERVIEW...
IRENE IS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE. DO NOT FOCUS ON THE EXACT
FORECAST TRACK AS IMPACTS WILL BE FELT WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER.
HURRICANE IRENE IS MOVING NORTH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE TURNING NORTH-NORTHEAST
LATER TODAY. THE CENTER OF IRENE WILL PASS OFFSHORE OF THE LOWER
SOUTH CAROLINA AND UPPER GEORGIA COASTS TONIGHT. BASED ON THE
LATEST FORECAST TRACK...IRENE WILL MAKE ITS CLOSEST APPROACH TO
CHARLESTON TONIGHT.

AS OF MID DAY...THE OUTER RAIN BANDS OF IRENE WERE MOVING
SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST
GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS AND AREAS ALONG THE COAST. THE PERIODIC
RAIN BANDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS ALL OF THE COASTAL
WATERS AND NEARBY LAND AREAS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A
FEW WIND GUSTS FROM 40 TO 50 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CHARLESTON
COUNTY ALONG WITH A SOME DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES. ACROSS THE
COASTAL WATERS...SUSTAINED WINDS FROM 25 TO 35 KNOTS WITH GUSTS UP TO
50 KNOTS WERE COMMON.

&&

.NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AROUND 330 PM...OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS
WARRANT.

SCZ045-050-052-271700-
/O.CON.KCHS.TR.W.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
INLAND BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-TIDAL BERKELEY-
1251 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...

...WINDS...
WINDS IN RAIN BANDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WITH
POSSIBLE GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. OUTSIDE OF RAIN BANDS...WINDS WILL BE
CONSIDERABLY LESS. THE WINDS IN RAIN BANDS COULD KNOCK DOWN POWER
LINES...TREES AND LIMBS AND PRODUCE MINOR DAMAGE TO OLDER MOBILE
HOMES. ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
THE COMBINATION OF VERY HIGH SURF AND HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES
WILL ENHANCE THE RISK FOR SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING...ESPECIALLY
AROUND TIMES OF HIGH TIDE LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY
MORNING. HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR IN THE CHARLESTON HARBOR AROUND 637
PM THIS AFTERNOON AND 651 AM SATURDAY MORNING. THE RISK FOR
FLOODING WILL BE ESPECIALLY HIGH IN THE DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON AREA.

...INLAND FLOODING...
GENERAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED WITH
ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST PORTIONS.
ALTHOUGH THE RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING IS LOW AT THIS TIME...IF
HEAVY RAINS FALL AROUND TIMES OF HIGH TIDE THE RISK FOR FLASH
FLOODING WILL INCREASE...ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON
AREA.

...COASTAL HAZARDS...
REPORTS FROM THE BEACHES AS WELL AS OFFSHORE BUOYS INDICATE SEAS
CONTINUE TO STEADILY BUILD ACROSS THE BEACHES OF SOUTH COASTAL
SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH COASTAL GEORGIA. THESE BUILDING SEAS
ALONG WITH INCREASING ASTRONOMICAL TIDES WILL PRODUCE A HIGH RISK
FOR DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR MODERATE BEACH
EROSION. BREAKING WAVES IN SURF ZONES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 7 TO
10 FEET. THESE WAVES WILL CREATE VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN THE
SURF ZONE AND PEOPLE ARE URGED TO REMAIN OUT OF THE WATER THROUGH
AT LEAST SATURDAY.

$$

AMZ330-271700-
/O.CON.KCHS.TR.W.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
CHARLESTON HARBOR-
1251 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...

...WINDS AND SEAS...
MAINLY IN RAIN BANDS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...WINDS ARE
FORECAST TO BE IN THE 25 TO 35 KNOT RANGE WITH GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS.
OUTSIDE OF RAIN BANDS THE WINDS WILL BE LESS. WAVES WILL AVERAGE 2
TO 4 FEET WITH EXTREMELY ROUGH CONDITIONS EXPECTED NEAR THE HARBOR
ENTRANCE. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

$$

AMZ350-374-271700-
/O.CON.KCHS.TR.W.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH SC OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO
60 NM-
1251 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...

...WINDS AND SEAS...
MAXIMUM WINDS ARE FORECAST TO BE IN THE 30 TO 40 KNOT RANGE WITH
GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS. SEAS WILL PEAK 12 TO 18 FEET ACROSS THE NEAR
SHORE WATERS OF CHARLESTON COUNTY AND 15 TO 22 FEET OVER THE
GEORGIA OFFSHORE WATERS. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

$$

AMZ352-354-271700-
/O.CON.KCHS.TR.W.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
WATERS FROM EDISTO BEACH SC TO SAVANNAH GA OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA OUT
20 NM...INCLUDING GRAYS REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY-
1251 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...

...WINDS AND SEAS...
MAXIMUM WINDS OF 30 TO 35 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS ARE
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. SEAS WILL PEAK FROM 8 TO
13 FEET.


$$

GAZ117-119-139-141-SCZ048-049-051-271700-
/O.CON.KCHS.HU.S.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
COASTAL BRYAN-COASTAL CHATHAM-COASTAL LIBERTY-COASTAL MCINTOSH-
BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-COASTAL JASPER-
1251 PM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011

...A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT...
...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT...

...WINDS...
THE LATEST FORECAST IS FOR MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS TO REMAIN
BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE. HOWEVER...IN ANY RAIN BANDS WINDS
GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT COULD REACH UP TO 30 TO
PERHAPS 35 MPH.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
THE IMPACT FROM COMBINED STORM SURGE AND TIDES IS EXPECTED TO BE
MINIMAL FOR MOST AREAS. HOWEVER...THE COMBINATION OF VERY HIGH
SURF AND HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES WILL ENHANCE THE RISK FOR SHALLOW
COASTAL FLOODING...ESPECIALLY AROUND TIMES OF HIGH TIDE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. HIGH TIDE WILL OCCUR IN THE
SAVANNAH RIVER ENTRANCE AROUND 635 PM THIS EVENING AND 726 AM
SATURDAY MORNING. THE RISK FOR FLOODING WILL BE ESPECIALLY HIGH IN
THE AREA BETWEEN TYBEE ISLAND AND WILMINGTON ISLAND...INCLUDING
PARTS OF HIGHWAY 80. COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORIES MAY EVENTUALLY BE
NEEDED.

...COASTAL HAZARDS...
REPORTS FROM THE BEACHES AS WELL AS OFFSHORE BUOYS INDICATE SEAS
CONTINUE TO STEADILY BUILD ACROSS THE BEACHES OF SOUTH COASTAL
SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH COASTAL GEORGIA. THESE BUILDING SEAS
ALONG WITH INCREASING ASTRONOMICAL TIDES WILL PRODUCE A HIGH RISK
FOR DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND AT LEAST MODERATE BEACH EROSION.
BREAKING WAVES IN SURF ZONES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 6 TO 8 FEET
ALONG THE NORTH GEORGIA COAST AND 7 TO 10 FEET ALONG THE BEACHES
OF THE LOWER SOUTH CAROLINA COAST. THESE WAVES WILL CREATE VERY
DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN THE SURF ZONE AND PEOPLE ARE URGED TO
REMAIN OUT OF THE WATER THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY.

$$






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