ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 30A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 8 PM EDT TUE SEP 22 1998 ...GEORGES WEAKENING OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF HISPANIOLA...BUT EXPECTED TO RESTRENGTHEN ON WEDNESDAY...THREATENS CUBA...THE BAHAMAS AND SOUTH FLORIDA... HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ...HAITI...THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND EASTERN CUBA FROM THE PROVINCE OF LAS TUNAS EASTWARD TO GUANTANAMO. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND FOR CUBA FROM THE PROVINCE OF CAMAGUEY TO SANCTI SPIRITUS. INTERESTS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO SHOULD MAINTAIN PRECAUTIONS UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. A HURRICANE WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS TONIGHT OR WEDNESDAY MORNING. AT 8 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.3 WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES...110 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF PORT-AU-PRINCE HAITI. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/HR. ON THIS TRACK THE HURRICANE WILL CONTINUE MOVING OVER HISPANIOLA TONIGHT...AND EMERGE OVER WATER WEDNESDAY MORNING. IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO FOCUS ON THE PRECISE FORECAST TRACK SINCE THE HURRICANES DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND RAINS COVER A WIDE SWATH. GEORGES HAS BEEN WEAKENING WHILE MOVING OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS LAND MASS OF HISPANIOLA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 95 MPH...155 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS PARTICULARLY OVER ELEVATED AREAS. FURTHER WEAKENING IS LIKELY WHILE THE HURRICANE MOVES OVER HISPANIOLA. HOWEVER...GEORGES IS EXPECTED STRENGTHEN AGAIN WHEN THE CENTER EMERGES OVER WATER. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES... 95 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 985 MB...29.09 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES. THIS RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH GEORGES. REPEATING THE 8 PM EDT POSITION...18.9 N... 71.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD... WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 95 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 985 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT AT 11 PM EDT. PASCH NNNN