ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 31 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 AM EDT WED AUG 26 1998 ...BONNIE HEADING NORTHWARD TOWARD NORTH CAROLINA... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM CAPE ROMAIN SOUTH CAROLINA TO CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA...INCLUDING PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS...AND CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT SOUTHWARD. AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE WARNINGS AND WATCHES SOUTH OF CAPE ROMAIN ARE DISCONTINUED...BUT SMALL CRAFT IN THAT AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT 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 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 33.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.8 WEST OR ABOUT 75 MILES SOUTH OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST TONIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...AND WITH A SLIGHTLY SLOWER FORWARD SPEED...THE CENTER OF BONNIE SHOULD REACH THE COAST THIS EVENING OR EARLY TONIGHT. 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. A GUST TO 101 MPH WAS RECENTLY REPORTED ATOP THE ELEVATED PLATFORM AT FRYING PAN SHOALS...LOCATED ABOUT 60 MILES OFFSHORE. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED BEFORE LANDFALL. DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE OF BONNIE AND ITS RATHER SLOW MOTION...PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA CAN EXPECT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF...BATTERING WINDS AND WAVES...AND HIGH STORM SURGE. 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. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 966 MB...28.53 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 11 AM EDT POSITION...33.2 N... 77.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 966 MB. INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1 PM EDT AND 3 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT. RAPPAPORT STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN