ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES ADVISORY NUMBER 26 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 PM AST MON SEP 21 1998 ...GEORGES BATTERING EASTERN PUERTO RICO...ALL PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETE... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE U.S. AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS...PUERTO RICO...AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH COAST OF HAITI FROM ST NICOLAS TO THE BORDER OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...AND FOR EASTERN CUBA FROM THE PROVINCE OF LAS TUNAS EASTWARD TO GUANTANAMO. INTERESTS IN THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS SHOULD MAINTAIN PRECAUTIONS UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED JUST OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF PUERTO RICO NEAR LATITUDE 18.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 65.6 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE...BRINGING THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE OVER PUERTO RICO TONIGHT. REMEMBER...IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO FOCUS ON THE PRECISE FORECAST TRACK SINCE THE HURRICANE IS NOT A POINT AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS COVER A WIDE SWATH. THOSE EXPERIENCING THE CALM EYE OF THE HURRICANE SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION AND NOT VENTURE OUTDOORS AS WINDS WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY AGAIN. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 150 MPH ARE POSSIBLE OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. SOME FURTHER FLUCTUATIONS IN WIND SPEED ARE POSSIBLE...BUT GEORGES IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A DANGEROUS HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WINDS NEAR 100 MPH WERE ESTIMATED ON A SHIP ANCHORED AT VIEQUES IN THE PAST HOUR. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE JUST REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 967 MB...28.55 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES... ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE CENTER. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE HURRICANE INTERACTS WITH THE ISLANDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH GEORGES. REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...18.0 N... 65.6 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 110 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 967 MB. INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 7 PM AST AND 9 PM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM AST. PASCH STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN