WTUS82 KMLB 071540
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
072200-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1130 AM EDT WED SEP 7 2005

...TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA CONTINUING SLOWLY NORTHWARD NEARLY PARALLEL
TO THE COAST...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO
SEBASTIAN INLET. A PORTION OF THE WARNING MAY BE DISCONTINUED LATER
THIS AFTERNOON.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT DESCRIBES ACTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN IN THE
FOLLOWING COASTAL COUNTIES...VOLUSIA...BREVARD...AND INDIAN RIVER.
INTERESTS WITHIN MARTIN...SAINT LUCIE...OKEECHOBEE...OSCEOLA...
ORANGE...SEMINOLE...AND LAKE COUNTIES SHOULD CONTINUE TO CHECK
FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING OPHELIA SINCE THERE IS
UNCERTAINTY IN THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF THE STORM.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 11 AM...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 80 MILES EAST
OF CAPE CANAVERAL. OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST AT 4
MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS...AND SOME FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY TODAY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO GRADUALLY INTENSIFY TO A STRONG TROPICAL STORM
BY THURSDAY...AND REMAIN OFFSHORE. BEYOND 48 HOURS...THE FORECAST
BECOMES HIGHLY UNCERTAIN...AND RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP INFORMED
OF THE LATEST FORECAST. REVIEW PERSONAL OR BUSINESS ACTION PLANS AND
REPLENISH HURRICANE SUPPLY KITS. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN
THE WARNING AREA FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT ARE URGED TO REMAIN IN PORT. OCCASIONAL HEAVY SQUALLS
WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS NEAR 40 KNOTS WILL IMPACT THE
COASTAL WATERS NORTH OF SEBASTIAN INLET TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SEAS
OF 10 TO 12 FEET AT MID DAY...WILL BUILD UPWARD TO 15 FEET BY
TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH OUTER BANDS FROM OPHELIA
WILL CONTINUE TO OCCASIONALLY ROTATE ONSHORE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS...ESPECIALLY FROM CAPE CANAVERAL NORTHWARD WHERE A MODERATE
THREAT OF FLOODING EXISTS. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WILL BE
POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM ORLANDO TO CAPE
CANAVERAL. MAXIMUM RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY REACH 6 TO 8 INCHES IN
ISOLATED SPOTS. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR VOLUSIA...
SEMINOLE...ORANGE...AND NORTHERN BREVARD COUNTIES. AREAS MOST
SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING WILL BE URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...AS
WELL AS LOW LYING AREAS.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS WILL OCCUR ALONG THE COAST WITHIN
THE WARNING AREA TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY IN PASSING SQUALLS. ON THE
CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...HEAVY SQUALLS WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH
WILL BE MOST COMMON ALONG THE VOLUSIA AND NORTH BREVARD COASTLINE
TONIGHT THROUGH MID DAY THURSDAY. SINCE OPHELIA IS MOVING NEARLY
PARALLEL TO THE EAST COAST...THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO INLAND WATCHES OR
WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WITH THE FORECAST TRACK OF OPHELIA EXPECTED TO REMAIN OFFSHORE...A
STORM SURGE IS NOT ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE WARNING AREA. HOWEVER...DUE
TO THE PERSISTENT...LONG FETCH OF STRONG ONSHORE FLOW...HIGH SEAS AND
ROUGH SURF WILL BATTER THE BEACHES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THIS
WAVE ACTION WILL RESULT IN WORSENING BEACH EROSION AROUND THE TIME OF
EACH SUCCESSIVE HIGH TIDE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...LEADING TO A MAJOR
BEACH EROSION EVENT. THE GREATEST IMPACTS WILL OCCUR FROM AROUND CAPE
CANAVERAL NORTHWARD THROUGH THE VOLUSIA COUNTY BEACHES...WHERE THE
STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST FLOW AND POUNDING SURF WILL PERSIST FOR
SEVERAL DAYS.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A VERY LOW THREAT FOR AN ISOLATED WATERSPOUT TO MOVE
ONSHORE AND PRODUCE A BRIEF TORNADO...MAINLY NEAR THE COAST FROM
CAPE CANAVERAL NORTHWARD.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 600 PM...OR SOONER IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THESE HURRICANE THREATS CAN BE VIEWED ON
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE WEB-PAGE AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MLB/GHLS/HLS_MAIN.HTML

$$

SPRATT