WTUS82 KMLB 081238 HLSMLB AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147- 081600- TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 830 AM EDT THU SEP 8 2005 ...TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA MEANDERING JUST OFFSHORE WHILE SLOWLY BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED... ...OUTER RAINBANDS WITH 50 MPH WINDS ROTATING CLOSE TO THE COAST... ...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 8 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. OPHELIA IS MEANDERING OFFSHORE...BUT ESSENTIALLY REMAINS STATIONARY. A NORTHWARD DRIFT IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS...MAKING OPHELIA A STRONG TROPICAL STORM. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO GRADUALLY INTENSIFY WHILE REMAINING JUST OFFSHORE. BEYOND 36 HOURS...THE FORECAST BECOMES HIGHLY UNCERTAIN... AND RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECAST. DO NOT LOWER YOUR GUARD. REVIEW PERSONAL OR BUSINESS ACTION PLANS AND REPLENISH HURRICANE SUPPLY KITS. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN AND NEAR THE WARNING AREA FOR TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. RESIDENTS OF BREVARD AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES SHOULD SECURE OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT ARE LOOSE AND LIGHTWEIGHT. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHEN TRAVELING ACROSS CAUSEWAYS...ESPECIALLY IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. ...WIND IMPACTS... OPHELIA HAS BECOME A STRONG TROPICAL STORM WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME FURTHER STRENGTHENING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH ARE CURRENTLY BEING EXPERIENCED ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST BETWEEN DAYTONA BEACH AND CAPE CANAVERAL. OCCASIONAL HEAVY SQUALLS WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE VOLUSIA AND NORTH BREVARD COASTLINE INTO FRIDAY. ANY WESTWARD DRIFT OF OPHELIA WILL BRING STRONGER WINDS TO THE COAST AND ALSO SPREAD THE WINDS FARTHER INLAND ACROSS VOLUSIA AND NORTHERN BREVARD COUNTIES. ...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS... DUE TO THE STRONG AND PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW WITHIN THE WARNING AREA...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. ENHANCED WAVE ACTION WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL BEACH EROSION AROUND THE TIME OF EACH SUCCESSIVE HIGH TIDE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...POSSIBLY 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. ...MARINE IMPACTS... SMALL CRAFT ARE URGED TO REMAIN IN PORT WITHIN AND NEAR THE WARNING AREA. WINDS OF 35 TO 55 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS WILL BUILD SEAS UPWARD TO 15 FEET OFFSHORE FROM COCOA BEACH NORTHWARD. MARINE INTERESTS FROM COCOA BEACH SOUTH SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AS SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT AND OCCASIONAL STRONG SQUALLS WILL ALSO IMPACT PORTIONS OF THIS AREA. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS...ESPECIALLY OFFSHORE FROM SEBASTIAN INLET TO COCOA BEACH IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO OPHELIA. ...FLOOD IMPACTS... LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH OUTER BANDS FROM OPHELIA WILL CONTINUE TO ROTATE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...ESPECIALLY FROM CAPE CANAVERAL NORTHWARD WHERE A MODERATE THREAT OF FLOODING EXISTS. AVERAGE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM ORLANDO TO CAPE CANAVERAL. ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR. 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. ...TORNADO IMPACTS... THERE IS A VERY LOW THREAT FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO...MAINLY NEAR THE COAST FROM CAPE CANAVERAL NORTHWARD. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1130 AM...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 AND CLICKING ON OPHELIA LOCAL INFO. $$ SPRATT