ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 32 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 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. AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE WATCHES AND WARNINGS NORTH OF THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER HAVE BEEN REVISED. A HURRICANE WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE NOW 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 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 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 34.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.0 WEST OR ON THE COAST NEAR CAPE FEAR NORTH CAROLINA. THE FORWARD SPEED OF BONNIE HAS BEEN GRADUALLY DECREASING TODAY. THE HURRICANE IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 8 MPH. SOME FURTHER DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. 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. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 963 MB...28.44 INCHES. DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE OF BONNIE AND ITS RATHER SLOW MOTION... PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AREA CAN EXPECT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF BATTERING WINDS...WAVES...HIGH STORM SURGE...AND HEAVY RAIN. STORM SURGE FLOODING WITH LARGE BATTERING WAVES IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE HURRICANE HAS REACHED 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 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH BONNIE. TOTALS COULD BE MUCH LARGER...POSSIBLY IN EXCESS OF 15 OR 20 INCHES...IF THE FORWARD SPEED OF BONNIE DECREASES FURTHER. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...34.0 N... 78.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 963 MB. INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 7 PM EDT AND 9 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM EDT. RAPPAPORT STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN