WTUS82 KMLB 072043 HLSMLB AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147- 080400- TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 443 PM EDT WED SEP 7 2005 ...TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA ... ...NEW INFORMATION... TROPICAL STORM WARNING DISCONTINUED SOUTH OF COCOA BEACH AT 500 PM. ...WATCHES AND WARNINGS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO COCOA BEACH. ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT DESCRIBES ACTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN WITHIN VOLUSIA AND BREVARD COUNTIES. INTERESTS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA SHOULD CONTINUE TO CHECK FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING OPHELIA DUE TO UNCERTAINTY IN THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF THE STORM. ...STORM INFORMATION... AT 500 PM...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.4 WEST OR ABOUT 80 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL. OPHELIA HAS REMAINED NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS...BUT IS EXPECTED TO RESUME A SLOW NORTH NORTHWEST MOTION THIS EVENING. A SLOW MOTION TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS...AND SOME FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY TONIGHT OR THURSDAY. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO GRADUALLY INTENSIFY TO A STRONG TROPICAL STORM BY LATE 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. ...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 STRONG AND PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW...ROUGH SURF AND BREAKING WAVES OF 5 TO 6 FEET WILL BATTER THE BEACHES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL ALSO OCCUR INTO THE WEEKEND. 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 STRONGEST NORTH FLOW AND POUNDING SURF WILL PERSIST FOR SEVERAL DAYS. ...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 COCOA BEACH OVERNIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. SEAS OF 10 TO 12 FEET LATE THIS AFTERNOON...WILL BUILD UPWARD TO 15 FEET OVERNIGHT 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. 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. ...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 MIDNIGHT...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