Tropical Storm ERNESTO

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TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO ADVISORY NUMBER  28
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL052006
1100 AM EDT THU AUG 31 2006

...ERNESTO HEADING TOWARD THE CAROLINAS...A LITTLE STRONGER... 
 
AT 11 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN
EXTENDED NORTHWARD TO CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT NORTH CAROLINA
INCLUDING THE PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.
 
AT 11 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS DISCONTINUED
SOUTH OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER
NORTHWARD TO CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT INCLUDING THE PAMLICO AND
ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.
 
AT 11 AM EDT...1500 UTC...A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM
SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH CAROLINA TO CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA. A
HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 1100 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 31.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST OR ABOUT 225
MILES...360 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA AND
ABOUT 105 MILES...170 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH
CAROLINA.
 
ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 17 MPH...28 KM/HR.
ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF ERNESTO WILL BE NEARING THE COAST OF
THE CAROLINAS LATER TODAY.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  NO SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED BEFORE LANDFALL.
 
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM
MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.

LATEST MINIMUM PRESSURE REPORTED BY A NOAA P-3 RECONNAISSANCE PLANE
WAS IS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES.
 
COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS
IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE COASTS OF SOUTH AND NORTH CAROLINA IN AREAS
OF ONSHORE FLOW WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. 
 
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA
INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES...AND THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
APPALACHIANS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES...THROUGH
SATURDAY.  THESE AMOUNTS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.  
 
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
 
REPEATING THE 1100 AM EDT POSITION...31.3 N...79.6 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 17 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60
MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...994 MB.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 200 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500
PM EDT.
 
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
 
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