Hurricane WATCH - News, Member Reports and Survival Tips

WATCH LIVE: Hurricane Irene hits East Coast

 

 

 

Tropical Storm Public Advisory Statement as of 5:00 am EDT on August 27, 2011 location...34.1n 76.5w about 35 mi...55 km S of Cape Lookout North Carolina about 95 mi...155 km SW of Cape Hatteras North Carolina maximum sustained winds...90 mph...150 km/h present movement...NNE or 20 degrees at 14 mph...22 km/h minimum central pressure...952 mb...28.11 inches watches and warnings -------------------- changes in watches and warnings with this advisory... the Tropical Storm Warning has been discontinued for the South Carolina coast south of the South Santee River. Summary of watches and warnings in effect... a Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Little River Inlet North Carolina northward to Sagamore Beach Massachusetts...including the Pamlico...Albemarle...and Currituck sounds...Delaware Bay...Chesapeake Bay south of Drum Point...New York City...Long Island...Long Island Sound...coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island...Block Island...Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * South Santee River South Carolina to Little River Inlet * Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point northward and the tidal Potomac * north of Sagamore Beach to Merrimack River a tropical storm watch is in effect for... * Merrimack River to Eastport Maine interests in southeastern Canada should monitor the progress of Irene. For storm information specific to your area in the United States...including possible inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office. For storm information specific to your area outside the United States...please monitor products issued by your National meteorological service. Discussion and 48-hour outlook ------------------------------ at 500 am EDT...0900 UTC...the center of Hurricane Irene was located near latitude 34.1 north...longitude 76.5 west. Irene is moving toward the north-northeast near 14 mph...22 km/h...and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. On the forecast track...the center of Irene will make landfall in eastern North Carolina during the next few hours and then move across eastern North Carolina. The hurricane is forecast to move near or over the mid-Atlantic coast tonight and move over southern New England on Sunday. Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph...150 km/h...with higher gusts. Irene is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Little change in strength is expected before Irene reaches the coast of North Carolina...and Irene is expected to remain near the threshold of category one and category two strength. Some weakening is expected after Irene reaches the coast of North Carolina...but Irene is forecast to remain a hurricane as it moves near or over the mid-Atlantic states and New England. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 90 miles...150 km...from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 260 miles...415 km. The NOAA automated station at Cape Lookout recently reported sustained winds of 61 mph...98 km/h...and a wind gust of 78 mph...126 km/h. A storm spotter in Stacy North Carolina recently reported a wind gust of 93 mph...150 km/h. The latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft is 952 mb...28.11 inches. A NOAA buoy in Onslow Bay North Carolina recently reported a pressure of 963.1 mb...28.44 inches. Hazards affecting land ---------------------- wind...tropical-storm-force winds will continue to spread inland over the warning area today. Hurricane-force winds are spreading onto the North Carolina coast...and should spread northward through the Hurricane Warning area during the day. Tropical-storm-force winds are expected to begin along the mid-Atlantic coast later this morning with hurricane conditions expected by this afternoon. Tropical storm conditions are expected to reach southern New England tonight with hurricane conditions expected on Sunday. Storm surge...an extremely dangerous storm tide will raise water levels by as much as 5 to 9 feet above ground level in the Hurricane Warning area in North Carolina...including the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. Storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 4 to 8 feet above ground level within the Hurricane Warning area from the North Carolina/Virginia border northward to Cape Cod including southern portions of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Near the coast...the surge will be accompanied by large...destructive...and life-threatening waves. Storm surge values are very location-specific...and users are urged to consult products issued by their local National Weather Service offices. Rainfall...Irene is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 6 to 10 inches...with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches...from eastern North Carolina northward through the mid-Atlantic states into eastern New York and western New England. These rains could cause widespread flooding and life-threatening flash floods. Surf...large swells generated by Irene are affecting portions of the coast of the southeastern United States. These swells will cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Tornadoes...isolated tornadoes are possible over extreme eastern North Carolina today.