ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 32A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM EDT WED AUG 26 1998 ...BONNIE CONTINUES TO BATTER COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA...MAJOR FLOOD THREAT DEVELOPING... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM CAPE ROMAIN SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER...INCLUDING PAMLICO SOUND AND ALBEMARLE SOUND. A HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE IN EFFECT FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA AND IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT SOUTHWARD. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA TO CAPE HENLOPEN DELAWARE. SMALL CRAFT SOUTH OF THE WARNING AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. 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 7 PM EDT...2300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 34.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.9 WEST OR ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN WILMINGTON AND CAPE FEAR NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE HAS MOVED VERY LITTLE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS...BUT A SLOW NORTHWARD MOVEMENT IS EXPECTED TO RESUME LATER TONIGHT AND CONTINUE ON THURSDAY. ON THIS TRACK...BONNIE WILL BE PERSISTING OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER DAY...CREATING A SERIOUS FLOOD THREAT FROM RAIN. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS IS A LARGE HURRICANE AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD OCCUR FAR FROM THE CENTER. WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS THE CIRCULATION MOVES FARTHER INLAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 965 MB...28.50 INCHES. DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE OF BONNIE AND ITS SLOW MOTION... PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AREA CAN EXPECT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DAMAGING WINDS...WAVES...HIGH STORM SURGE...AND HEAVY RAIN. STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE HURRICANE HAS REACHED THE COAST ...INCLUDING IN PAMLICO SOUND AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. WATER LEVELS AS HIGH AS 9 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDAL LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE BATTERING WAVES...ARE LIKELY. INLAND HIGH WIND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. SEE STATEMENTS BY LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES. FAYETTEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA...ABOUT 85 MILES INLAND... RECENTLY REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 53 MPH. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES...LOCALLY EVEN HIGHER...ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE PATH OF BONNIE...POSING A VERY SERIOUS FLOOD THREAT. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. REPEATING THE 7 PM EDT POSITION...34.1 N... 77.9 W. MOVEMENT NEARLY STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 965 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 9 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM EDT. PASCH NNNN