Hurricane Ophelia Live Thread, Part II (Update: Ophelia expected to remain Cat 1 storm)

NHC - NOAA ^ | 10 Spetember 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Ophelia continues to churn off the off the coast of the Carolinas with a track that has confounded computer models and meteorologists for days. Hurricane watches are issued for much of the SC and NC coastline. Northern GA and southern VA coastal areas are currently within the three day cone of uncertainty. Check local NWS service for updates.

The following links are self-updating:

Public Advisory Currently published every 3 hours 5A, 8A, 11A, 2P, etc. ET
NHC Discussion Published every six hours 6A, 11A, 6P, 11P
Three Day Forecast Track
Five Day Forecast Track
Navy Storm Track Graphics, Satellite
Ophelia Track Forecast Archive
Forecast Models
Buoy Data SE U.S.
Myrtle Beach NWS Local Hurricane Statements
Wilmington NC NWS Local Hurricane Statements

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Storm Floater WV Still Image
Morehead City Long Range Radar Loop
Wilmington NC Long Range Radar Loop
Charleston SC Long Range Radar Loop
Wakefield VA Radar
Morehead City Experimental Radar may experience delays or outages
Storm Floater Still & Loop Options
Color Enhanced IR Loop
Ophelia Wind Field Graphic

Additional Resources:

Myrtle Beach Online
WECT-6 Wilmington News
WVEC-13 Hampton Roads/Norfolk
Hurricane City
Myrtle Beach Web Reports Surf & traffic cams

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

[Gabz]

I'm in Tidewater. I'm also surrounded by 90 ft. pines.

Oh good grief.

I'm on the eastern shore lots of pine - they can wipe out the barn, but won't reach the house.

[Gabz]

If that's the case, MoJo is headed home to Ohio.

If that's the case - MoJo is one smart cookie.

[GummyIII]

I saw a house in Charleston, SC (where the brunt of Ophelia may still hit) that was built out of concrete in the shape of a geodesic dome. It was NEAT! It was beautiful, too! Also, old Civil War underground bunkers have been turned into beautiful homes which will withstand anything. That's how to build houses in hurricane country.

[Gabz]

Yup.

[Nathan Zachary]

We've been thinking about moving out that way. Getting near that age where I'm getting tired of freezing my nads off and digging out of 10 feet of snow in the winter, and spring floods. We came very close to loosing our main home a couple years back, even though we have a levee built all around it. Floods seem to be getting more and more frequent.

[GummyIII]

I love where I live. I wouldn't trade it for anything. The weather typically isn't extreme in any way. We rarely go over 90^oF or under 20^oF in the winter. We get the wind and rain from an occasional hurricane and we get an occasional tornado in the area.

[GummyIII]

We rarely go over 90^oF in the summer...

[oceanview]

the strike potential has definitely shifted north - to the southern part of NC.

[LibertyRocks]

"They don't like to call them tornadoes though."

Are those what they refer to as "micro-bursts" or something like that?

[Nathan Zachary]

We get over that often, but we also get -40f in the winter too. In fact it hit 85f today. But those days are comming to an end very quickly. Average for now is around 70f. Leaves are starting to change, so you know what that means.

[Gabz]

The weather typically isn't extreme in any way. We rarely go over 90oF or under 20oF in the winter.

Amazing isn't it, how one part of a state can be so different than other parts? Upper 90s with mid 90 humidity is usual summer weather here.....and it gets danged cold and unbelieveably wet in the winter. And the notoreous Nor'earters off the Atlantic, which are more frequent, and at times worse than hurricanes.

But like you, I love where I live and wouldn't trade it for anything :)

[jackbill]

The three day forecast includes the SE portion of VA, and the five day forecast includes a whole lot more of VA...

And tomorrow I will top off my gas tank and gather a few necessities for a quick trip. I'm on the Delmarva peninsula, four miles from the ocean, five miles south of Delaware - and on the water.

[Nathan Zachary]

I'm not sure. Possibly. We just call it wind shear. It's just like a tornado, but no funnel. They seem to occur during the same type of weather that produces tornado's- a hot hummid day time, then a thunderstorm pops up late in the day. They even have an "eye" it seems- all the wind stops for a few minutes, then "the other half" comes, just as fierce as the first half. Then it just dissapears, the sky clears, stars come out and it's a beautiful night. Some have a wide path of destruction, some are very focused.

I'm sure you can find specific info about these somewhere on the net. I've never bothered to look into them myself, so I can't tell you much except I sure wouldn't want to be in one's direct path. I can tell you that they seem to be more common in wide open areas (like I live in)

[goosie]

Is that the house on Sullivans Island that looks like a mushroom?

[Gabz]

I'm on the Delmarva peninsula, four miles from the ocean, five miles south of Delaware - and on the water.

Join the club - but I'm 8 miles south of Maryland :)

[presently no screen name]

Last week the guy was here to take down a huge branch that broke off and was stuck on another branch. He said there is no reason to take it down - it's over 200 years old - it's a beautiful tree, blah, blah. I said if you lived in this house would your feelings be the same about the tree.

There is no interference to block it. I just pray to keep it standing.

I hope your feller didn't slip on the soap when he heard that noise!! Must have been one frightening experience!

[Capt. Tom]

the strike potential has definitely shifted north - to the southern part of NC.

[GummyIII]

Hi! You know, I don't know exactly where it was. My daughter and her friend were showing me around. It was near where the underground bunkers are...I know it wasn't more than a few miles from there, anyhow.

[GummyIII]

I hope your feller didn't slip on the soap when he heard that noise!! Must have been one frightening experience!

You know, he was dressed and out so fast I didn't ever ask him what he did! He was outside in that mess checking it out.

[GummyIII]

We'll have pretty days way up into November, and possibly December, but we'll also have some cold nights and frosts by the end of September or first of October. Our leaves don't start changing until October, usually and peak about mid-October. We were in the low 80's today, but it was about 3 before it got that warm. It was low 50's during the night sometime. We've had weather in the upper 70's/low 80's as highs all week. I live more in the valley although not as low as some and higher up the mountains has been cooler.