Alex Advisories

[Matthew5]

This hurricane is as strong as Isabel when it made landfall!

[Stormchaser16]

Well..... unfortunately it was expected when we saw the eyewall getting so close, but before that, no one could have possibly expected a category 2 hurricane striking within so close of land...... truly sad

[WXBUFFJIM]

Well I'm afraid there is severe soundside storm surge flooding south of Hatteras. Numerous homes are flooded and highway 12 is under water. Potentially a 5 foot surge in this area of the outer banks from the Pamilco Sound.

Jim

[Stormchaser16]

Yes i saw that report of 5 feet of water on Highway 12, when i was down there, in some spots it appeared they were still working on the area!

[HurricaneBill]

OMG... this is unbelievable!!!

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PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
334 PM EDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0115 PM     HURRICANE        OCRACOKE                35.10N 75.98W
08/03/2004                   OUTER BANKS HYDE   NC   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            OCRACOKE FERRY TERMINAL. 120 MPH MEASURED WIND GUST.


Holy hot tamales! Be careful!

Also, tourists should really take cover. In Hurricane Bob in 1991, a majority of the 18 fatalities were tourists.

[GaryOBX]

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SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
330 PM EDT TUE AUG 3 2004

.NOW...

...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HIGH WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER HATTERAS
ISLAND AND MAINLAND DARE COUNTY THROUGH 430 PM...

VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE IN RAIN BANDS ALONG THE OUTER BANKS
FROM HATTERAS TO DUCK...AND IN MAINLAND DARE COUNTY. THE BACK EDGE OF
STRONG HURRICANE ALEX WAS OVER THE OUTER BANKS. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40
TO 60 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 85 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN THIS BAND SWEEPS
ACROSS THE HATTERAS ISLAND THROUGH 430 PM. RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO 3
INCHES AN HOUR WILL ALSO OCCUR. SIGNIFICANT SOUNDSIDE FLOODING WAS
OCCURRING WITH WATER LEVELS 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL REPORTED FROM
OCRACOKE TO HATTERAS VILLAGE WITH ROADS IMPASSABLE.


[GaryOBX]

A snippet from the latest Local Statement...

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HURRICANE ALEX LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
340 PM EDT TUE AUG 3 2004

---snip---

...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTER BANKS FROM
OCRACOKE TO OREGON INLET THROUGH 5 PM. AT 115 PM A 120 MPH WIND GUST
WAS RECORDED AT THE OCRACOKE FERRY TERMINAL. AT 209 PM A 102 MPH
WIND GUST WAS RECORDED IN HATTERAS VILLAGE. SUSTAINED WINDS OF NEAR
60 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 80 MPH WERE CONTINUING BETWEEN OCRACOKE
AND OREGON INLET.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
SOUNDSIDE FLOODING WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON SOUTH OF HATTERAS TO
OCRACOKE. AT 2 PM...5 FEET OF WATER WAS REPORTED OVER HIGHWAY 12 ON
THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF OCRACOKE ISLAND. AT 250 PM...4 FEET OF WATER
WAS REPORTED OVER HATTERAS VILLAGE. WATER LEVELS OF 4 TO 6 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL CAN BE EXPECTED. ON THE OCEAN SIDE...SURGE OF 2 TO 4
FEET CAN BE EXPECTED FROM OCRACOKE NORTH. WAVE ACTION ON TOP OF THE
STORM SURGE WILL RESULT IN CONSIDERABLE BEACH EROSION. WATER LEVELS
WILL BE ABOUT 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE
ALBEMARLE SOUND INCLUDING THE ROANOKE RIVER.

...MARINE INFORMATION...
SEAS ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING 8 TO 12 FEET. AN 8 TO 12 FOOT SURF WAS
REPORTED ON THE OUTER BANKS. THESE LARGE WAVES WILL PRODUCE VERY
ROUGH SURF. MARINERS SHOULD STAY IN PORT THIS AFTERNOON.


[tallywx]

120 mph seems a bit high. Ferry terminals, oil rigs, etc. seem to have non-standard height anemometers that capture too-high windspeeds.

Nevertheless, the 102 mph gust at Hatteras confirmed by two independent and reliable sources is impressive and disheartening.

[ncweatherwizard]

4:05PM: Still no phone in Hatteras or Buxton, but my one source remaining in Avon says that a cell phone call to her daughter in Frisco reported that 11 people lost their vehicles after being forced to park them in Highway 12...water up to the dashboards. Conditions starting to improve...but flooding everywhere...unconfirmed report of school in Buxton flooded.

I will either post phone reports or media reports from Hatteras Village later--I'm sure the local news channels will all be there shortly, but I don't know when phone service will return.

[Scott_inVA]

it made landfall duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your DUH is based on what?

Certainly not TPC:

12A: ...ALEX CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN AS IT APPROACHES THE OUTER BANKS...THE CENTER OF ALEX WILL BEGIN PASSING VERY
NEAR THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS LATER THIS MORNING.

13: ...ALEX A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE AS IT PARALLELS THE OUTER BANKS...THE CENTER OF ALEX IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN JUST OFFSHORE THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS.

13A: ...ALEX A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE AS IT PARALLELS THE OUTER BANKS...THE CENTER OF ALEX IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN JUST OFFSHORE THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS.

13B: ...ALEX BEGINS MOVING AWAY FROM THE OUTER BANKS...AT 3 PM EDT...1900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ALEX WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 35.4 NORTH... LONGITUDE 75.1 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA. ALEX IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 17 MPH. A NORTHEASTWARD MOTION WITH A SMALL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ALEX IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING AWAY FROM THE OUTER BANKS THIS EVENING.

So, what did you see TPC missed?

Scott

[Stormchaser16]

And before that you harped that this storm was hardly worthy of being a TS

[Stormchaser16]

Alex did not make landfall, it came ever so close, but the eye never really did actually head over Hatteras. We would hav had reports of clearing, or no more rain in Hatteras had the eye actually gone over land

[hurricanedude]

Landfall or not...120 MPH gust is SIGNIFICANT and capable of extreme damage

[hurricanedude]

... Wind impacts...
hurricane force wind gusts will continue across the Outer Banks from
Ocracoke to Oregon Inlet through 5 PM. At 115 PM a 120 mph wind gust
was recorded at the Ocracoke Ferry terminal. At 209 PM a 102 mph
wind gust was recorded in Hatteras Village. Sustained winds of near
60 mph with gusts as high as 80 mph were continuing between Ocracoke
and Oregon Inlet.

[Brent]

[Brent]

Hurricane Alex Advisory Number 14

Statement as of 5:00 PM EDT on August 03, 2004

...Alex moving away from the U.S. After battering the Outer Banks...

At 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...all warnings are discontinued south of Cape
Lookout North Carolina.

A Hurricane Warning remains in effect from Cape Lookout to Oregon
Inlet North Carolina...including the Pamlico Sound.

A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect from north of Oregon
Inlet to the North Carolina/Virginia border...including the
Albemarle Sound. All warnings will likely be discontinued this
evening.

At 5 PM EDT...2100z...the center of Hurricane Alex was located near
latitude 35.8 north...longitude 74.6 west or about 65 miles
northeast of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.

Alex is moving toward the northeast near 17 mph and this motion is
expected to continue over the next 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph...160 km/hr...with higher
gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next
24 hours. A five-minute sustained wind of hurricane force...75 mph...was
measured at 135 PM EDT at Avon pier by a private firm...weatherflow
inc.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles... 55 km...
from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up
to 105 miles...165 km.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 972 mb...28.70 inches.

Coastal storm surge flooding should be subsiding this evening. High
surf and rip currents will affect much of the mid-Atlantic U.S.
Coastal areas for the next day or so.

Repeating the 5 PM EDT position...35.8 N... 74.6 W. Movement
toward...northeast near 17 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.

An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National
Hurricane Center at 8 PM EDT followed by the next
complete advisory at 11 PM EDT.

[dixiebreeze]

Hurricane Alex Advisory Number 14


Statement as of 5:00 PM EDT on August 03, 2004



...Alex moving away from the U.S. After battering the Outer Banks...
At 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...all warnings are discontinued south of Cape
Lookout North Carolina.

A Hurricane Warning remains in effect from Cape Lookout to Oregon
Inlet North Carolina...including the Pamlico Sound.

A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect from north of Oregon
Inlet to the North Carolina/Virginia border...including the
Albemarle Sound. All warnings will likely be discontinued this
evening.

At 5 PM EDT...2100z...the center of Hurricane Alex was located near
latitude 35.8 north...longitude 74.6 west or about 65 miles
northeast of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.

Alex is moving toward the northeast near 17 mph and this motion is
expected to continue over the next 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph...160 km/hr...with higher
gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next
24 hours.
A five-minute sustained wind of hurricane force...75 mph...was
measured at 135 PM EDT at Avon pier by a private firm...weatherflow
inc.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles... 55 km...
from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up
to 105 miles...165 km.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 972 mb...28.70 inches.

Coastal storm surge flooding should be subsiding this evening. High
surf and rip currents will affect much of the mid-Atlantic U.S.
Coastal areas for the next day or so.
Repeating the 5 PM EDT position...35.8 N... 74.6 W. Movement
toward...northeast near 17 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.

An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National
Hurricane Center at 8 PM EDT followed by the next
complete advisory at 11 PM EDT.

Forecaster Franklin

[TLHR]

In Mt. Pleasant, SC, we really didn't experience anything until yesterday when Alex was off the coast of Myrtle Beach. We had a real down pour as a band spiraled through. I certainly did not expect Alex to become a Cat 2.

[The Dark Knight]

I didn't either...

[Rainband]

You amaze me Mike Truly an asset to our team!!