ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 30A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 8 AM EDT WED AUG 26 1998 ...DANGEROUS HURRICANE HEADING FOR LAND... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA TO CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA...INCLUDING PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS... AND CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT SOUTHWARD. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SAVANNAH GEORGIA TO EDISTO BEACH AND FROM CHINCOTEAGUE TO CAPE HENLOPEN DELAWARE. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. INTERESTS IN THE WATCH AND WARNING AREAS SHOULD FOLLOW RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THEIR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 32.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.8 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES SOUTH OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH AND A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED TODAY. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER SHOULD REACH THE COAST THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER THIS IS A LARGE HURRICANE AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD OCCUR FAR FROM THE CENTER. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...AND ARE NOW AT THE COAST. SUSTAINED HURRICANE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES AND SHOULD REACH THE COAST IN A FEW HOURS. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS NEAR THE COAST IN THE CAPE FEAR AREA. A GUST TO 89 MPH WAS REPORTED ATOP THE ELEVATED PLATFORM AT FRYING PAN SHOALS...LOCATED ABOUT 60 MILES OFFSHORE. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST BEFORE LANDFALL LATER TODAY. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 965 MB...28.50 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE HURRICANE REACHES THE COAST...INCLUDING IN PAMLICO SOUND AND ALBEMARLE SOUND...WITH WATER LEVELS INCREASING UP TO 9 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDAL LEVELS. LARGE SWELLS ARE PROPAGATING WELL AHEAD OF THE HURRICANE AND ARE IMPACTING PORTIONS OF THE U.S. EAST COAST. SEE STATEMENTS FROM LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH BONNIE. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER EXTREME EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND OVER EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA. REPEATING THE 8 AM EDT POSITION...32.7 N... 77.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 965 MB. THE CENTER HAS BECOME WELL-DEFINED ON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AND HOURLY POSITION ESTIMATES...MIATCEAT...WILL BEGIN AT 9 AM EDT. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 AM EDT. LAWRENCE/RAPPAPORT NNNN