WTUS82 KMLB 090051
HLSMLB
AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147-
090400-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
850 PM EDT THU SEP 8 2005

...HURRICANE OPHELIA CONTINUES SPINNING OFF THE FLORIDA EAST COAST
WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH..

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM FLAGLER BEACH TO SEBASTIAN
INLET. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE BEACHES SOUTH OF
SEBASTIAN INLET FOR LARGE BREAKING WAVES. A HURRICANE WARNING HAS
BEEN ISSUED 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 8 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
28.6 NORTH... LONGITUDE 79.4 WEST OR ABOUT 75 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF
CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. OPHELIA IS STATIONARY AND A SLOW
NORTHEASTWARD MOTION MAY OCCUR OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SINCE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS ONLY 70 MILES OFFSHORE BREVARD COUNTY
AND THE OUTER RAINBANDS WITH HEAVY SQUALLS ARE WITHIN 20 MILES OF THE
COAST...ANY WESTWARD DRIFT...EVEN FOR ONLY A FEW HOURS...WOULD BRING
HEAVY RAINS AND WINDS AS HIGH AS 70 MPH TO THE COAST WITHIN THE
WARNING AREA. KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST FORECAST AND DO NOT LOWER
YOUR GUARD. PERSONAL OR BUSINESS ACTION PLANS SHOULD BE PUT IN EFFECT
AND HURRICANE SUPPLY KITS SHOULD BE REPLENISHED. PREPARATIONS FOR
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SHOULD NOW BE COMPLETE WITHIN THE WARNING
AREA. OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT ARE LOOSE AND LIGHTWEIGHT SHOULD BE SECURE.
MOTORISTS SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHEN TRAVELING ACROSS CAUSEWAYS...
ESPECIALLY IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

...WIND IMPACTS...
OPHELIA HAS BECOME A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
SOME FURTHER STRENGTHENING. OCCASIONAL HEAVY SQUALLS WITH WIND
GUSTS OF 35 TO 50 MPH WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE VOLUSIA AND BREVARD
COASTLINE OVERNIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY. ANY WESTWARD DRIFT OF OPHELIA
WILL BRING WINDS GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 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 WITHIN THE TROPICAL
STORM WARNING AREA...ROUGH SURF AND BREAKING WAVES OF 6 TO 8 FEET
WILL BATTER THE BEACHES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. SOUTH OF THE
WARNING AREA...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...
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH OUTER BANDS FROM OPHELIA WILL
CONTINUE TO ROTATE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH LATE FRIDAY...
ESPECIALLY FROM MELBOURNE NORTHWARD WHERE A MODERATE THREAT OF
FLOODING EXISTS. AVERAGE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM DELAND TO
ORLANDO TO MELBOURNE. ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR...
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 1130 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 AND CLICKING ON OPHELIA LOCAL INFO.

$$

DECKER