ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 31B NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 3 PM EDT WED AUG 26 1998 ...BONNIE BATTERING COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA...FLOOD THREAT FROM RAIN INCREASING... 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. SMALL CRAFT SOUTH OF THE WARNING 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 3 PM EDT...1900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 33.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.0 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 10 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST TONIGHT. ON THIS TRACK...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. THE CIRCULATION AROUND BONNIE IS INTERACTING INCREASINGLY WITH LAND AND THIS COULD START A SLOW WEAKENING TREND LATER TODAY. HOWEVER...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...WAVES...HIGH STORM SURGE...AND HEAVY RAIN. 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. LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 963 MB...28.44 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. 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 EXTREME EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND OVER EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA. REPEATING THE 3 PM EDT POSITION...33.7 N...78.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 963 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 PM EDT. RAPPAPORT NNNN