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Hurricane OPHELIA


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HURRICANE OPHELIA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  34A...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2 PM EDT WED SEP 14 2005

CORRECTED INTENSITY FROM 80 TO 85 MPH IN REPEAT SECTION
 
...OPHELIA CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO 
THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM LITTLE RIVER INLET TO THE
NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER...INCLUDING THE PAMLICO AND
ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE IN EFFECT NORTH
OF THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT
VIRGINIA...INCLUDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF NEW POINT COMFORT.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SOUTH OF LITTLE
RIVER INLET TO NORTH OF THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER. THIS WARNING WILL
LIKELY BE DISCONTINUED LATER TODAY.
 
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN
THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS
THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN THE
NEXT 36 HR.  A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24
HOURS.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 2 PM EDT...1800Z...THE CENTER OF THE LARGE EYE OF HURRICANE
OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 33.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 77.4 WEST
OR ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT
70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR  7 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD
THE NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TO
OCCUR BY TONIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS FORECAST
TO MAKE LANDFALL ON THURSDAY ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF NORTH
CAROLINA NEAR CAPE LOOKOUT. HOWEVER...THE NORTHERN EYEWALL WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT... AND OVER THE OUTER BANKS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.
 
DATA FROM AN NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND NOAA LAND-BASED
DOPPLER RADARS INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS STILL POSSIBLE
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS BEFORE LANDFALL OCCURS.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  50 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE CONTINUING ALONG 
THE SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA COAST FROM NEAR THE NORTH
CAROLINA/SOUTH CAROLINA BORDER NORTHEASTWARD TO CAPE LOOKOUT.
DURING THE PAST HOUR...A NOAA REPORTING STATION AT WRIGHTVILLE
BEACH NORTH CAROLINA RECORDED 6-MINUTE AVERAGE WIND SPEED OF 68 MPH
WITH A GUST TO 77 MPH...WHILE NOAA BUOY 41013 LOCATED IN THE
SOUTHERN EYEWALL REPORTED A SUSTAINED WIND OF 59 MPH WITH A GUST TO
78 MPH.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY A NOAA
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS  979 MB...28.91 INCHES.
 
MAXIMUM COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN
BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW.  A STORM SURGE OF 9 TO 11
FEET IS POSSIBLE AT THE HEADS OF BAYS AND RIVERS.
 
OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF
4 TO 8 INCHES OVER EXTREME NORTHEASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND EASTERN
NORTH CAROLINA...WITH MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES
POSSIBLE OVER COASTAL SECTIONS OF NORTH CAROLINA.
 
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS OF NORTH
CAROLINA TODAY.
 
REPEATING THE 2 PM EDT POSITION...33.9 N... 77.4 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR  7 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 85 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 979 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 5 PM EDT.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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