Tropical Storm Beryl makes landfall in Nantucket

TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
344 AM EDT FRI JUL 21 2006
...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WOODS HOLE MASSACHUSETTS TO PLYMOUTH MASSACHUSETTS...
...NEW INFORMATION...
LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND RADAR IMAGERY INDICATED THAT THE CENTER OF WEAKENING TROPICAL STORM BERYL PASSED NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF NANTUCKET AROUND 3 AM. THE HIGHEST UNOFFICIAL OBSERVED WIND GUSTS THROUGH 3 AM WERE 44 KNOTS AT THE CAPE WIND STATION ON NANTUCKET SOUND...AND 45 MPH ON NANTUCKET BY A TRAINED SPOTTER. THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING STATION AT THE NANTUCKET AIRPORT HAS THUS FAR REPORTED A PEAK WIND OF 44 MPH. JUST OFFSHORE SOUTH OF NANTUCKET...THE NANTUCKET SHOALS BUOY REPORTED GUSTS TO 49 KNOTS BETWEEN 2 AND 3 AM.
AT 320 AM...THE HEAVY RAIN SHIELD ASSOCIATED WITH THE CORE OF BERYL WAS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF GEORGES BANK. A FEW MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS MAY AFFECT CAPE COD AND THE ISLAND THROUGH 5 AM...BUT THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS MOVED OFFSHORE.
...AREAS AFFECTED...
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL AFFECT MAINLY NANTUCKET AND THE OUTER PART OF CAPE COD NEAR CHATHAM...AND LESS SO...MARTHAS VINEYARD UNTIL ABOUT 5 AM.
THE PRIMARY IMPACT OF THIS STORM WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MARINE COMMUNITY SOUTH AND EAST OF NANTUCKET BEFORE DAWN...AND THEREAFTER THE HEAVY SURF AND ASSOCIATED RIP CURRENTS FOR THE OCEAN EXPOSED SOUTH COASTAL SECTIONS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND.
...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM WOODS HOLE MASSACHUSETTS TO PLYMOUTH MASSACHUSETTS...INCLUDING CAPE COD...NANTUCKET AND MARTHAS VINEYARD.
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS FRIDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS AS WELL AS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND. THE RISK OF ANY FLOODING FROM BERYL...HOWEVER...IS DIMINISHING.
...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 3 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERYL WAS LOCATED NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF NANTUCKET.
BERYL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 14 MPH...AND SLOWLY ACCELERATING. ON THIS TRACK...BERYL WILL BE PASSING INTO THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF GEORGES BANK BY 5 AM.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 50 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME SLOW WEAKENING IS EXPECTED THROUGH TODAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.
THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING STATION AT THE NANTUCKET AIRPORT REPORTED A SURFACE PRESSURE OF 1006 MB AT 3 AM.
...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TROPICAL STORM BERYL WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE MARINE COMMUNITY WITH HIGH SEAS AND STRONG WINDS. MARINERS ARE URGED TO REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL THE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS HAVE PASSED.
SEAS HAD RISEN TO 19 FEET ACROSS NANTUCKET SHOALS BY 3 AM. SEAS OF 15 TO 20 FEET WILL AFFECT THE WATERS TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF NANTUCKET THROUGH 6 AM...AND THEN BEGIN TO GRADUALLY SUBSIDE.
...WIND IMPACTS...
BERYL HAS SUSTAINED WINDS OF 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH...MAINLY SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH OF THE CENTER. THERE COULD BE A GUST OR TWO TO 50 MPH FROM THE SOUTHWEST ACROSS NANTUCKET UNTIL ABOUT 5 AM.
IT IS UNLIKELY THAT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL AFFECT COASTAL PLYMOUTH COUNTY...OR THE UPPER CAPE.
THE IMMEDIATE SOUTH COAST OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND MAY EXPERIENCE A 3 HOUR PERIOD OF WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH EARLY THIS MORNING...MAINLY FROM NEWPORT TO NEW BEDFORD AND WAREHAM.
...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
GIVEN THE CURRENT AND EXPECTED STRENGTH OF TROPICAL STORM BERYL...ONLY A VERY MINOR STORM SURGE OF LESS THAN 1 OR 2 FEET IS EXPECTED...AND THIS WILL OCCUR BETWEEN HIGH TIDE CYCLES. THUS...NO COASTAL FLOODING IS ANTICIPATED. SOME BEACH EROSION IS LIKELY...HOWEVER.
AT NANTUCKET...AN ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE OF 2.7 FEET OCCURS AT 1013 AM FRIDAY MORNING.
AT PROVINCETOWN...AN ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDE OCCURS AT 8.4 FEET AT 912 AM FRIDAY MORNING.
...RIP CURRENT IMPACTS...
SOUTHERLY SWELL FROM TROPICAL STORM BERYL WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE SOUTH COAST. HIGH SURF ALONG THE RHODE ISLAND AND MASSACHUSETTS SOUTH COAST WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG MANY SOUTH COAST BEACHES THROUGH FRIDAY. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR THE SOUTH COAST OF RHODE ISLAND AND MASSACHUSETTS.
LINGERING RIP CURRENTS MAY REQUIRE THAT THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY BE EXPANDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS EAST COAST FOR FRIDAY.
...RIVER AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD IMPACTS...
THE AREA OF HEAVIEST RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CORE OF TROPICAL STORM
BERYL IS MOVING THROUGH THE NANTUCKET AREA. THE HEAVIEST RAIN...HOWEVER...HAS MOVED OFFSHORE...AND THE RISK OF ANY FLOODING FROM BERYL WAS DIMINISHING.
...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON SHORTLY AFTER 5 AM EDT.
ADDITIONAL STORM INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN SHORT TERM FORECASTS /KBOXNOWBOX/...AND IN THE TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER PRODUCTS.
$$
THOMPSON

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