3dGameMan
09-15-2005, 06:57 AM
Ophelia pounding North Carolina: ~source (http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/09/15/hurricane_ophelia20050915.html)
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/pix/ophelia_getty_top_photo_554.jpg
CBC News
Hurricane Ophelia is pounding North Carolina and it's taking its time about it. At 7 a.m. ET, Ophelia was centered about 55 kilometres east-northeast of Cape Lookout, and about 70 kilometres southwest of Cape Hatteras. It was slowly moving northeast at about 10 km/h.
The U.S. hurricane center said it did not expect the eye of the storm to make landfall but the outer eyewall, the ring of high wind surrounding the eye, could pass over the Outer Banks.
Hurricane warning flags were flying for most of North Carolina, with warnings and advisories in effect north into Virginia.
High water had trapped some people in their homes in the community of Harlowe, said Chuck Webb, assistant chief of the Harlowe volunteer fire department. "They are stuck," Webb said. "They are on islands."
About 225 people spent the night in four county shelters, Craven County manager Harold Blizzard said.
Ophelia was expected to hug the coast for the next 24 hours while it slowly moves to the northeast.
Its maximum sustained winds were near 135 km/h, with higher gusts.
Because it was moving slowly, Ophelia was dropping enormous amounts of rain and pounding the shore with dangerous waves and a two-metre storm surge.
The National Hurricane Center said some parts of eastern North Carolina could receive 45 cm of rain.
250 FEMA officials are in place, more than usual for a Category One storm.
Power is out to more than 120-thousand homes and businesses in eastern North Carolina. Areas near the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington have already had more than 30 cm of rain.
Villages on North Carolina's exposed Hatteras Island could get the worst of Ophelia's winds and flooding.
The storm ripped off roofs near Morehead City on the central coast and washed away part of a fishing pier on Atlantic Beach.
"These floods are going to be worse than anticipated yesterday," North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley said. "Once the high winds come, we cannot get in and get you out -- cannot get you by boat, cannot get you by helicopters, cannot get there by plane."
Canadian forecasters said they expect Ophelia to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Nova Scotia starting on Saturday afternoon. Rain and wind should spread into Newfoundland on Sunday.
Ophelia is the 15th named storm and seventh named hurricane of this year's busy Atlantic season, which ends Nov. 30.
Bush to speak from New Orleans
President Bush was scheduled to speak from New Orleans at 9 p.m. ET Thursday. He was expected to talk about the mammoth effort that will be required to rebuild that part of the U.S. from damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Bush was also to stop in Mississippi on his fourth visit to the Gulf Coast since Katrina hit 17 days ago.
The address comes two days after Bush said that he takes responsibility for the flawed federal response to the hurricane.
According to a CBS New York Times poll, almost two-thirds of Americans said rebuilding New Orleans is more important to them than changing Social Security. And almost three-fourths said it's more important to them than cutting taxes...
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/pix/ophelia_getty_top_photo_554.jpg
CBC News
Hurricane Ophelia is pounding North Carolina and it's taking its time about it. At 7 a.m. ET, Ophelia was centered about 55 kilometres east-northeast of Cape Lookout, and about 70 kilometres southwest of Cape Hatteras. It was slowly moving northeast at about 10 km/h.
The U.S. hurricane center said it did not expect the eye of the storm to make landfall but the outer eyewall, the ring of high wind surrounding the eye, could pass over the Outer Banks.
Hurricane warning flags were flying for most of North Carolina, with warnings and advisories in effect north into Virginia.
High water had trapped some people in their homes in the community of Harlowe, said Chuck Webb, assistant chief of the Harlowe volunteer fire department. "They are stuck," Webb said. "They are on islands."
About 225 people spent the night in four county shelters, Craven County manager Harold Blizzard said.
Ophelia was expected to hug the coast for the next 24 hours while it slowly moves to the northeast.
Its maximum sustained winds were near 135 km/h, with higher gusts.
Because it was moving slowly, Ophelia was dropping enormous amounts of rain and pounding the shore with dangerous waves and a two-metre storm surge.
The National Hurricane Center said some parts of eastern North Carolina could receive 45 cm of rain.
250 FEMA officials are in place, more than usual for a Category One storm.
Power is out to more than 120-thousand homes and businesses in eastern North Carolina. Areas near the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington have already had more than 30 cm of rain.
Villages on North Carolina's exposed Hatteras Island could get the worst of Ophelia's winds and flooding.
The storm ripped off roofs near Morehead City on the central coast and washed away part of a fishing pier on Atlantic Beach.
"These floods are going to be worse than anticipated yesterday," North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley said. "Once the high winds come, we cannot get in and get you out -- cannot get you by boat, cannot get you by helicopters, cannot get there by plane."
Canadian forecasters said they expect Ophelia to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Nova Scotia starting on Saturday afternoon. Rain and wind should spread into Newfoundland on Sunday.
Ophelia is the 15th named storm and seventh named hurricane of this year's busy Atlantic season, which ends Nov. 30.
Bush to speak from New Orleans
President Bush was scheduled to speak from New Orleans at 9 p.m. ET Thursday. He was expected to talk about the mammoth effort that will be required to rebuild that part of the U.S. from damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Bush was also to stop in Mississippi on his fourth visit to the Gulf Coast since Katrina hit 17 days ago.
The address comes two days after Bush said that he takes responsibility for the flawed federal response to the hurricane.
According to a CBS New York Times poll, almost two-thirds of Americans said rebuilding New Orleans is more important to them than changing Social Security. And almost three-fourths said it's more important to them than cutting taxes...