ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 33 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 PM EDT WED AUG 26 1998 ...BONNIE CONTINUES TO BATTER THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...MAJOR FLOOD THREAT LOOMS... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MURRELLS INLET SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER...INCLUDING PAMLICO SOUND AND ALBEMARLE SOUND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT SOUTH OF MURRELLS INLET TO CAPE ROMAIN SOUTH CAROLINA. 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. 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 PM EDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 34.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.7 WEST OR ABOUT 20 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE HAS MOVED LITTLE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS BUT A SLOW NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT AND 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 HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS IS A LARGE HURRICANE AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD OCCUR FAR FROM THE CENTER. FURTHER WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS THE CIRCULATION INTERACTS WITH LAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...MAINLY OVER WATER. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE RECENTLY REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 967 MB...28.56 INCHES. DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE OF BONNIE AND ITS SLOW MOTION...PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA CAN EXPECT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DAMAGING WINDS...WAVES...HIGH STORM SURGE...AND HEAVY RAIN. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 8 TO 10 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDES...ALONG WITH LARGE BATTERING WAVES...ARE LIKELY NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE HURRICANE HAS REACHED THE COAST. INLAND HIGH WIND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. SEE STATEMENTS BY LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES. 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 11 PM EDT POSITION...34.2 N... 77.7 W. MOVEMENT... NEARLY STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...100 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 967 MB. INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1 AM EDT AND 3 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 AM EDT...THURSDAY. PASCH STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN