Ophelia is a hurricane again....and she looks nasty

[Nikki Stone 1]

[dweller]

1. any new info?

our local NC didn't really talk it up, just more of the same from earlier today. I know they've mandatory evac'd part of the coast.

dp

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. Which parts of the coast?

I had heard that Ophelia was a tropical storm earlier--now a hurricane again.

[dweller]

3. outer banks i think

i have family in Wilmington.

dp

[Nikki Stone 1]

4. I've got a sister who was vacationing there. I hope she left.

Apparently, Virginia Beach/Hampton area is already preparing.

http://wavy.com/

[justiceischeap]

9. Yeah, they're testing the tunnels because two years ago

They either neglected to close off one of the tunnels or there was a malfunction. It shut down the midtown tunnel for over a month. If you're familiar with traffic in this area, that ain't a good thing.

[katamaran]

24. They're closing the Midtown tunnel tonight for testing

They're closing the Midtown tunnel tonight for testing...of course they're closing it right BEFORE I head home. Looks like the Downtown Tunnel for me tonight.

Isabel flooded the Midtown Tunnel about 2/3 of the way to the ends. One tube of the Downtown Tunnel had a few feet of water in it. And that was a pissant little barely category one hurricane. Hate to think what a category three would do. We;ve already said we'd pack the dogs and parrot into an RV and head dead west.

[theHandpuppet]

25. Some areas are under a mandatory evacuation

Hopefully she didn't have a choice in the matter and was told to get out.

[CountAllVotes]

5. ohhhhhhhh shiiiitttttt!!!!!!

Ophelia is gonna hit! Get the hell out of North/South Carolina now!

Are you reading this Peggy?

:scared:

:kick:

[VTMechEngr]

49. Uh, Its a Cat 1.

Most Houses in Virginia and NC are rated to a CAT 3. As long as you are not on a beach, the worst is a messy yard or a tree down.

I lived in Virginia Beach, Va for 19 years and weathered many 'canes.

[CountAllVotes]

50. my friend ...

She lives in Beaufort County, SC and in the last hurricane her place was damaged. She has insurance but hey, guess what, they would not pay for any of the repairs. She lives on the lowland of Hilton Head. I'm very worried for her.

I'm thinking she left already being she leaves every time a hurricane comes that way. Still the same I worry about her and everyone else in the Carolinas!

:kick:

[Plausible]

6. anyone know how things are in Wilmington?

Are they on mandatory evacuation?

[ultraist]

46. I have a friend in Wilmington, no they are not on mandatory evac

Okracoke island and somea areas of the outter banks are though (further north).

[Carni]

7. I hope she blows right up my brother in law's ass

I am sorry NC Duers that was highly inappropriate and I shouldn't have said that...I hope you all make out OK (but I do hope that SOB loses power and has to live in filth for a week)

[marbuc]

11. Ouch!

Don't like the guy eh?

[Carni]

18. He LOVES W

The last time I spoke to him (4 years ago) he was telling us that *blacks had smaller brains* that was it for me--I haven't spoken to the POS since.

[still_one]

19. tell us what you really feel about your brother in law

don't hold back now

[Carni]

21. I was totally holding back previously EOM

[still_one]

51. Sorry about that. Some people just aren't human beings

I was actually kidding, and I sure didn't mean to offend

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[VADem11]

10. The problem

will probably be with the rain and flooding and not the wind. It is moving at 3 miles per hour which is extremely slow. Sort of like Frances last year. I hope the carolinas are okay.

[La Coliniere]

12. Followed right on the heels by Hurricane Polonius.

Sorry. Couldn't resist. "Get thee to a nunnery, or a freaking storm shelter".

[Nikki Stone 1]

13. Here's the latest

Ophelia Regains Hurricane Strength



By PAUL NOWELL, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 2 minutes ago

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. - Vulnerable islands were evacuated and mainland schools were closed Tuesday as Ophelia again strengthened to a hurricane and wobbled closer to land with a threat of flooding rain.

The National Hurricane Center upgraded the storm's status Tuesday evening, saying maximum sustained winds had reached 75 mph, with higher gusts. The storm was graded a Category One hurricane, but the center said further strengthening was possible in the hours ahead....

...A hurricane warning extended from the South Santee River in South Carolina north to Oregon Inlet at Pamlico Sound in North Carolina, meaning hurricane conditions were expected within 24 hours.

A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning were in effect from the Oregon Inlet north to the North Carolina-Virginia line and southward from the South Santee River to Edisto Beach in South Carolina....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050913/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather

[dweller]

14. here's NOAA info

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/132345.shtml


Outer Banks area mand.evac was for visitors, not locals. Next update, 11pm.

edit: mand.evac was for all on the Outer Banks, except Ocracoke (?) .

dp

[Nikki Stone 1]

15. And specifically these areas

"At least six North Carolina counties ordered mandatory evacuations of some areas and seven others had voluntary evacuations.

Along the exposed Outer Banks chain, all residents and visitors were ordered to evacuate Hatteras Island on Tuesday, visitors had been ordered off Ocracoke Island and the National Park Service closed the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.

Schools were closed in several coastal counties in both North and South Carolina, while classes were canceled at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and East Carolina University in Greenville.

The Air Force sent some aircraft from bases in Virginia and North Carolina to airfields farther inland and moved others into hangars."

[slackmaster]

16. Let me guess - right up the Cape Fear River

I hope my friends over there are prepared.

[Plausible]

17. possibly 5 to 15 inches of rain

one to three inches an hour maybe in wilimington area, street flooding likely. power outages expected,....weather channel on tv is saying

[Plausible]

20. storming in wilmington, raining hard wind blowing

yard flooding at relative.......oh phone now

[applegrove]

22. Oh shit. She got her stuff together. Wonder if it will be next Tuesday

before FEMA arrives and allows troops & rescuers through?

[applegrove]

23. You just cannot underestimate the power of warm water, caused by

global warming, to organize even the most mixed up of tropical storms. Kind of like "fear" the WH uses - every day to control people. Fear rises to the top of emotions too.

[Boomer]

26. Oh gods, my co-worker is going to lose it

Not because she has family in the area, or is worried about the people who may lose their homes or their lives.

No, she's worried about her wedding which is scheduled to be held near Hatteras Island.

Plans, obviously, subject to change....

[dsc]

27. I live about 30 miles west of Greeneville

and our schools are scheduled to be open tommorrow but we will get a call sometime before 6am telling us for sure if we are. I admit I was kind of poo pooing these hurricanes until Katrina. Now if I hear of a category 3 or higher heading here I will be driving west as fast as I can get away with.

[geomon666]

28. 5 Day track has it skimming the NC coast.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT16/refresh/AL1605W5_sm2+gif/214052W_sm.gif


However it should be noted:

OPHELIA IS MOVING TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH... AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT. A TURN TO
THE NORTH IS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER...STEERING CURRENTS
REMAIN WEAK...AND AN ERRATIC MOTION IS LIKELY.

MAXIMUM COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN
BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW. A STORM SURGE OF 8 TO 10
FEET IS POSSIBLE AT THE HEADS OF BAYS AND RIVERS.

OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO
10 INCHES OVER EXTREME NORTHEASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND OVER EASTERN
NORTH CAROLINA...WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15
INCHES OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS OF NORTH
CAROLINA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.



Shouldn't be too bad I don't think.

[pfitz59]

29. If it hugs the coast for a few days....

could cover the whole eastern seaboard! Everything from SC to Maine is in its path!

[geomon666]

30. It'll get weaker the farther north it goes.

The cooler water will kill it.

[Maru Kitteh]

33. Back in the days before global warming sure

water temps are way up from normal, including the north.

Someday in the not so distant future we will be dealing with a major hurricane in NYC, or another densely populated northern locale.

[geomon666]

38. The northern waters are still cooler than the southern waters. n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

52. I know, and I agree, all I'm saying is we can't be thinking of these

things the way we were used to, we can't count on them to behave the way we expect anymore. We are in a new cycle now and have the combined global energy policies and practices of the last 200 +- years colliding in ways that will bring much more death and much more misery.

[theHandpuppet]

32. This is the part of the report that scares me....

MAXIMUM COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN
BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW. A STORM SURGE OF 8 TO 10
FEET IS POSSIBLE AT THE HEADS OF BAYS AND RIVERS.

Folks who've never been to the barrier islands of NC don't realize these are extremely narrow, flat strips of land and even minor storm surge can wash competely over these islands. The ecosystem there is delicate and could sustain major damage even with a level one hurricane, especially if it moves right up the sound.

[Nikki Stone 1]

35. Yeah, this could be bad

...

[SaveAmerica]

42. Making it worse is that she's just moseying along, she'll be dumping

loads of water as she takes her sweet little time. I feel bad for the New Orleans evacuees who ended up seeking shelter there.

[burythehatchet]

31. Is FEMA handing out cash to Nags Head residents?

:shrug:

[BlackVelvetElvis]

34. My friend is on her honeymoon in Myrtle Beach

Since last Saturday until this weekend.
I hope they are doing well.

[Window]

40. I have two daughters and their families in Myrtle Beach.

They closed the schools and businesses for today and tomorrow (and the rest of the week if necessary). They also have shelters set up. Needless to say, they are extremely nervous after Katrina.

[bdot]

36. This thing is a wimp!

We need rain in the Raleigh area. This thing is turning and heading away. ARGH!!!!!!!!!

[LisaL]

37. She is a crazy one. Can't make up her mind.

[Nikki Stone 1]

39. That's what is so annoying about Ophelia

It's hard to tell what is going to happen.

[katamaran]

45. Let's hope Pat Robertson prays it away

:evilgrin:

[LittleClarkie]

41. GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM NORFOLK YOU @#$%&

Hey man, I'm FROM Virginia. I don't remember in my first 10 years of life being in the middle of a hurricane. But it looks like after South Carolina, will come me ol' stompin' grounds. Eesh. I hope those guys will be okay. It's still a 1, isn't it?

[katamaran]

43. Isabel and Floyd were only a category ones

Problem with Isabel was that we'd had a very wet summer, so the ground was soft. Trees were toppling like Jenga blocks. Same thing with Floyd...we'd had a weak hurricane spinning off the coast (Dennis I think) that soaked us a week before, then came in and flooded the holy HELL out of northeastern NC and Franklin VA. I also remember Gloria when I was a kid in the 80's...and I was at college in the mountains when Fran passed right over my fricking dorm (classes weren't cancelled...go figure!)

[SlavesandBulldozers]

47. i remember when Floyd looked like it was going to slam into Florida

it was gigantic and everybody thought we were going to get hit head-on. so Floyd wasn't that strong when it made landfall up North eh? I didn't know that.

[QC]

44. Weak cat. 1 so far--shouldn't be too bad.

Well, you know what I mean. Not fun, but not devastating either.

[Xithras]

48. Yep, the eyewall is poorly defined.

A poorly defined eyewall means a less organized storm and smaller storm surge. It also makes it far more likely that the storm will fall apart as it hits the coast.

All hurricanes are bad, but they really don't get much weaker than this.

[dweller]

53. the latest NOAA advisory

meant to post at 11, sorry.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/132345.shtml

it appear to just sit there and soak the coast. Reminds me of H. Diane (?) that took almost a week to get out of town.

dp