GOES Satelite picture - Eastern Conus Sector (Water Vapor Channel) (Hurricane Alex)

NOAA ^ | (continuously updated)

[alancarp]

Oh - hunker down, will ya? It'll be very busy out there for about six hours.

[alancarp]

Morehead City, NC - reporting a 70 MPH wind gust. They are probably 30 miles from the eye.

[Hatteras]

Wanna shoot for Cat 3 by Kitty Hawk? ;-)

[alancarp]

That would add some more curves to NC 12 quite nicely, yes. But the good news is that it ain't gonna happen: it'll scrape by Hatteras Island (which is probably worse than getting the full eye, for there'll be no break from the storm until it passes) as a minimal Cat 2 and keep going on out to sea.

[Hatteras]

latest WRAL Doppler Radar showing Alex skirting the coast...

[alancarp]

Nice shot. 78 MPH gust reported at Hatteras Island a little while ago.

[Tuxedo]

I am on vacation here in Waves NC. Raining very hard with some gusty winds. Not too bad yet. The eye is suposed to pass just to our east, but any shift will bring it right upon us. Gonna be exciting!!!

[Hatteras]

You're in for a georgeous day....... tomorrow.

Good Luck, love to hear more when you get the chance.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Looks like the eye just passed over Macomb, Illinois.

[alancarp]

Gusts now to 95 MPH at Hatteras Island. I hope you're not directly on the beach.

[dirtboy]

Sustained winds now up to 100mph. This one is gonna spank folks who didn't prepare.

[alancarp]

WTNT31 KNHC 031446
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
HURRICANE ALEX ADVISORY NUMBER 13
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM EDT TUE AUG 03 2004

...ALEX A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE AS IT PARALLELS THE OUTER BANKS...

AT 11 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS DISCONTINUED SOUTH OF SURF CITY NORTH CAROLINA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SURF CITY TO CAPE LOOKOUT.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM CAPE LOOKOUT TO OREGON INLET NORTH CAROLINA...INCLUDING THE PAMLICO SOUND. THIS MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF OREGON INLET TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER...INCLUDING THE ALBEMARLE SOUND.

AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ALEX WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 34.7 NORTH... LONGITUDE 75.8 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.

ALEX IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MPH. A NORTHEASTWARD MOTION WITH A SMALL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ALEX IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN JUST OFFSHORE THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS. HOWEVER...ANY MOTION TO THE LEFT OF THE EXPECTED TRACK COULD BRING THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE OVER THE OUTER BANKS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT
24 HOURS.


HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES...MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 972 MB...28.70 INCHES.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALEX.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON ATLANTIC SHORELINES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED INSIDE PAMLICO SOUND. HIGH SURF AND RIP CURRENTS WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN AND MID-ATLANTIC U.S. COASTAL AREAS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE OUTER BANKS THIS AFTERNOON.

REPEATING THE 11 AM EDT POSITION...34.7 N... 75.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...100 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 972 MB.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1 PM EDT AND 3 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT.

FORECASTER FRANKLIN

[Hatteras]

Current view from the lighthouse looking seaward...

[alancarp]

I'm gonna take a little bit different tack: preparation is helped with advance warning, and if you were paying attention ONLY to Top 40 radio and the Hurricane Cener's public advisories, then you wouldn't have had a clue this storm woulod explode like this. The Natl Hurricane Center has only one job to do - warn people of potential danger - and they're not doing it. I don't think they need to adopt a 'Chicken Little' mentality, either, but they sure didn't predict this kind of a storm at all in time for decent preparations to be made.

</ rant>

[Hatteras]

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Cams

[alancarp]

Cape Hatteras Report: winds sustained at 31mph, GUSTING TO 112 MPH. Dang caps lock key...

[alancarp]

Oh, and weather buoy #41025 is now seeing sustained windws at 37 knots, gusts to 45 kts and about 17 ft. wave heights. It should be intercepted by Alex's eye in a couple of hours. Pressure is 29.46 inches and 'falling rapidly'.

[oldironsides]

I ordered a new boat. Delivery in mid August. This weather
may make me pick a different Chesapeake marina. Yikes.

[alancarp]

The Cape Lookout weather station (onshore) is getting its closest approach now: 51 kt sustained winds from the North; 56 kt gusting; 29.38 inch barometric pressure (still falling).

[Rebelbase]