Hurricane OPHELIA

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HURRICANE OPHELIA SPECIAL ADVISORY NUMBER  31
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
530 PM EDT TUE SEP 13 2005

...NOAA HURRICANE HUNTERS FIND OPHELIA HAS REACHED HURRICANE
   STRENGTH...
...HURRICANE WARNING EXTENDED NORTHWARD...
 
AT 530 PM EDT...2130Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED
NORTHWARD TO OREGON INLET...INCLUDING PAMLICO SOUND. A HURRICANE
WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH CAROLINA
TO OREGON INLET CAROLINA...INCLUDING PAMLICO SOUND.  A HURRICANE
WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING
AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE NOW IN EFFECT
NORTH OF OREGON INLET TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER...
INCLUDING THE ALBEMARLE SOUND.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM
SOUTH OF THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA.
 
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 530 PM EDT...2130Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 32.6 NORTH... LONGITUDE 78.1 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES
SOUTH OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 110 MILES EAST OF
CHARLESTON SOUTH 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  75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. OPHELIA IS NOW A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND 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 AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS  985 MB...29.09 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 530 PM EDT POSITION...32.6 N... 78.1 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR  4 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 75 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 985 MB.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 PM EDT.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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