Hurricane OPHELIA

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TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA ADVISORY NUMBER  30
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT TUE SEP 13 2005

...OPHELIA NEARING HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO THE
   CAROLINA COASTS...
...WARNINGS AND WATCHES EXTENDED NORTHWARD TO VIRGINIA...
 
AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED
NORTHWARD TO CAPE HATTERAS. A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT
FROM THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH CAROLINA TO CAPE HATTERAS NORTH
CAROLINA.  A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
AT 5 PM EDT...A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE NOW
IN EFFECT NORTH OF CAPE HATTERAS TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA
BORDER...INCLUDING THE PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM
SOUTH OF THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA.
 
AT 5 PM EDT...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VIRGINIA...
INCLUDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF NEW POINT COMFORT.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN
THE WATCH AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 36 HR. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS
THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA
WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND NOAA COASTAL DOPPLER RADARS INDICATE
THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 32.6
NORTH... LONGITUDE 78.1 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES EAST OF CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 110 MILES SOUTH OF WILMINGTON NORTH
CAROLINA.
 
OPHELIA IS MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 4 MPH AND
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TONIGHT. A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER... STEERING
CURRENTS REMAIN WEAK...SO SOME ERRATIC MOTION WILL BE POSSIBLE.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR  70 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS... AND
OPHELIA IS JUST BELOW HURRICANE INTENSITY. SOME SLOW STRENGTHENING
IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS... AND OPHELIA COULD BECOME A
HURRICANE AGAIN LATER TONIGHT OR ON WEDNESDAY.
 
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES FROM THE
CENTER. OPHELIA'S STRONGEST WINDS ARE LOCATED RELATIVELY FAR FROM
THE CENTER...ROUGHLY 50 TO 60 MILES...AND THESE WINDS WILL REACH THE
COASTLINE WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE CENTER.  DURING THE PAST HOUR...
NOAA BUOY 41004 LOCATED EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON REPORTED
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 MPH WITH A GUST TO 65 MPH...WHILE NOAA BUOY
41013 LOCATED SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE FEAR REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS
OF 47 MPH WITH A GUST TO 58 MPH.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT HAS REMAINED STEADY AT  989 MB...29.21 INCHES.
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG
WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...ARE POSSIBLE IN AREAS OF
ONSHORE WINDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH OPHELIA.  A STORM SURGE OF 8 TO
10 FEET IS POSSIBLE AT THE HEADS OF BAYS AND RIVERS.
 
OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO
10 INCHES OVER FAR NORTHEASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA...WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 15
INCHES OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
 
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS OF NORTH
CAROLINA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
 
REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...32.6 N... 78.1 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR  4 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 70 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 989 MB.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM EDT.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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