ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 33B NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 3 AM EDT THU AUG 27 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 3 AM EDT...0700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 34.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.5 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW BERN NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE HAS BEGUN TO DRIFT NORTH-NORTHEAST OVER THE LAST SEVERAL HOURS. THIS SLOW NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. 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 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. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 970 MB...28.64 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 3 AM EDT POSITION...34.6 N... 77.5 W. MOVEMENT... DRIFTING NORTH-NORTHEAST...MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...100 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 970 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE AT 5 AM EDT. GUINEY STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN