It’s gotten cloudy, slightly breezy but still not really feeling any effects of Hurricane Ophelia. Bummer. Even the cloud cover is weak and looks like just another normal day in Newport News. I’m convinced it is just going to spin itself out to sea even though the big dogs at NOAA has put us in a warning; yeah right. It’s nowhere near us. I think they are just doing it to cover their asses.
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
550 AM EDT THU SEP 15 2005
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IN THE NORTHERN EYEWALL OF OPHELIA CONTINUE
TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA…
…A HURRICANE WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE COASTAL WATERS NORTH OF
CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT…THE CURRITUCK SOUND AND FOR CURRITUCK COUNTY
AND COUNTIES ADJACENT TO THE NORTHERN ALBEMARLE SOUND…
…A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT NORTH OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VIRGINIA…INCLUDING
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF NEW POINT COMFORT…
THE FOLLOWING VIRGINIA COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES REMAIN UNDER
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING…
VIRGINIA BEACH…CHESAPEAKE…NORFOLK…PORTSMOUTH…HAMPTON…
POQUOSON…YORK…NEWPORT NEWS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN
THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. WHILE THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS EXPECTED
TO PARALLEL AND PASS A VERY SHORT DISTANCE OFFSHORE THE NORTH
CAROLINA OUTER BANKS OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS…THE NORTHWEST EYEWALL
IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER THE OUTER BANKS DURING THIS PERIOD.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA
IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. A GRADUAL
WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN LATER TODAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE
CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES.