Tropical Storm Hanna Races to the Carolinas

The wind shear earlier this week took Hanna from Category Three down to Tropical Storm status, and she never really recovered...and the forecast track has been constantly been moving to the east.

Here is the latest NHC Advisory on Tropical Storm Hanna:


TCPAT3
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM HANNA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 36A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL082008
800 PM EDT FRI SEP 05 2008

...HANNA RACING NORTHWARD...HEAVY SQUALLS APPROACHING THE COAST OF
THE CAROLINAS...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM ALTAMAHA SOUND
GEORGIA NORTHWARD ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST TO SANDY HOOK NEW
JERSEY...INCLUDING PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS...INCLUDING ALL OF
CHESAPEAKE BAY....THE TIDAL POTOMAC...WASHINGTON D.C...AND THE
DELAWARE BAY.

THE HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH
SOUTH CAROLINA TO CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT NORTH CAROLINA...INCLUDING
PAMLICO SOUND. HURRICANE WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF
THIS AREA TONIGHT.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF SANDY HOOK NEW
JERSEY TO MERRIMACK RIVER MASSACHUSETTS...INCLUDING LONG ISLAND...
BLOCK ISLAND...MARTHA`S VINEYARD...AND NANTUCKET.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 800 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 31.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 100
MILES...165 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA AND
ABOUT 200 MILES...320 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF WILMINGTON NORTH
CAROLINA.

HANNA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 20 MPH...32 KM/HR. THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED CONTINUE TONIGHT...WITH A TURN TOWARD THE
NORTHEAST AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ON SATURDAY. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF HANNA SHOULD CROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN
COAST OF THE UNITED STATES TONIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY...THEN MOVE
ALONG THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST LATER SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ALTHOUGH NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST
BEFORE LANDFALL...IT WOULD ONLY TAKE A SMALL INCREASE IN WIND SPEED
FOR HANNA TO BECOME A HURRICANE. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER
LANDFALL.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 290 MILES...465 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER WAS 981 MB...28.97 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE
EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF THE PATH OF THE CENTER OF HANNA.

HANNA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 7 INCHES
FROM COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA...NORTHWARD THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA
THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES...WHERE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL BE
SIGNIFICANT FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION AND SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE
FLORIDA EAST COAST AND COASTAL GEORGIA.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER THE COASTAL AREAS OF
SOUTH AND NORTH CAROLINA.

REPEATING THE 800 PM EDT POSITION...31.6 N...79.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 20 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...70 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...981 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE National Hurricane Center AT
1100 PM EDT.

Hurricane Ike will likely strike parts of The Bahamas tomorrow. I'll have more then.