WTUS82 KMLB 090649
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
091000-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
245 AM EDT FRI SEP 9 2005

...HURRICANE OPHELIA SHOWS SIGNS OF A SLOW DRIFT NORTHWARD...

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO SEBASTIAN
INLET. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE BEACHES SOUTH OF
SEBASTIAN INLET FOR LARGE BREAKING WAVES. A HURRICANE WARNING IS
ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL WATERS BEYOND 20 MILES OFFSHORE
BETWEEN FLAGLER BEACH AND SEBASTIAN INLET.

...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.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 2 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 80 MILES
EAST NORTHEAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. OPHELIA APPEARS TO HAVE
BEGUN A SLOW DRIFT NORTHWARD...WITH A NORTHEASTWARD DRIFT EXPECTED
DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR
SIMPSON SCALE.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SINCE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS ONLY 80 MILES OFFSHORE...ANY MINOR
WESTWARD COMPONENT TO THE NORTHERLY DRIFT...EVEN TEMPORARILY FOR A
FEW HOURS...WOULD BRING HEAVY RAINS AND WINDS AS HIGH AS 58 MPH.
THIS WOULD MOST LIKELY OCCUR IN VICINITY OF PASSING SQUALLS
ALONG THE COAST WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. IMPORTANTLY...KEEP INFORMED
OF THE LATEST FORECAST AND DO NOT LOWER YOUR GUARD.

...WIND IMPACTS...
OCCASIONAL HEAVY SQUALLS WITH WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WILL
AFFECT MUCH OF THE VOLUSIA AND BREVARD COASTLINE OVERNIGHT AND INTO
FRIDAY. AGAIN...ANY WESTWARD DRIFT OF OPHELIA WILL BRING WIND GUSTS
OF 50 TO 60 MPH TO THE COAST AND WILL ALSO SPREAD STRONG WINDS
FARTHER INLAND ACROSS VOLUSIA AND BREVARD COUNTIES. OUTSIDE THE
WARNING AREA...WIND GUSTS WILL AVERAGE 20 TO 25 MPH...WITH BRIEF
GUSTS TO 35 MPH POSSIBLE IN PASSING SHOWERS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
DUE TO THE STRONG AND PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW NORTH OF CAPE
CANAVERAL...ROUGH SURF AND BREAKING WAVES OF 6 TO 8 FEET WILL BATTER
THE BEACHES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. SOUTH OF CAPE CANAVERAL...
BREAKING WAVES OF 4 TO 6 FEET WILL OCCUR...AND A HIGH SURF ADVISORY
IS IN EFFECT. STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL ALSO OCCUR ALONG THE ENTIRE
EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST 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 MOST SIGNIFICANT EROSION IS LIKELY
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 BETWEEN FLAGLER BEACH AND
JUPITER INLET. A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS
BEYOND 20 MILES OFFSHORE FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO SEBASTIAN INLET...AND
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS WITHIN 20 MILES
OF THE COAST. WINDS OF 40 TO 60 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 65 KNOTS...AND
SEAS OF 12 TO 15 FEET...WILL OCCUR OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS NORTH OF
SEBASTIAN TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. SOUTH OF SEBASTIAN INLET TO JUPITER
INLET...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY AND SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT.
TWENTY TO 30 KNOT WINDS ARE FORECAST...WITH GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS...
ESPECIALLY WELL OFFSHORE IN SQUALLS.

...FLOOD IMPACTS...
OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTER BANDS
OF OPHELIA WILL CONTINUE FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH LATE
FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY FROM MELBOURNE NORTHWARD WHERE A MODERATE THREAT
OF FLOODING EXISTS. AVERAGE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM DELAND TO
ORLANDO TO MELBOURNE. ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES MAY OCCUR...
BUT MAINLY NEAR THE COAST. AREAS MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING WILL BE
URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...AS WELL AS LOW LYING AREAS. A FLOOD
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR VOLUSIA...SEMINOLE...ORANGE...AND BREVARD
COUNTIES.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
THERE IS A VERY LOW THREAT FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO...MAINLY
NEAR THE COAST FROM SEBASTIAN INLET NORTHWARD.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 6 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.

$$