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Wednesday, August 26, 2020

News and Weather Briefing for Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Macon County Public Health Identifies Cluster at Franklin High School







OUTLOOK

An upper level ridge strengthening over the Southeast will allow temperatures to rise above normal into the weekend. The remnants of tropical cyclones Laura and Marco will bring higher levels of moisture and increased precipitation chances for Friday night and Saturday, especially in the mountains. Drier high pressure will build in Sunday.




Macon Calendar

1st Annual Radical Love Lobster Fest [EVENT PAGE]
SATURDAY AT 12 PM – 4 PM

What better way to celebrate Stephanie's 50th birthday than with a New England lobster dinner! Come help us raise money to support Smoky Mountain Harm Reduction and the free services we provide!


Place your order before Wednesday 8/26 at 5 pm and we'll fly your lobster in fresh from Gloucester, MA! On Saturday, you can either pick up your lobster steamed with an ear of corn and a potato or cook it at home yourself. Your choice!

All proceeds will go to provide life saving services to our most vulnerable folx in WNC. Questions? Call Stephanie at 617-828-9184.

Thanks for everyone's continued support as we work to together to keep our most vulnerable folx alive and healthy.


Macon County Cooperative Extension, Christy Bredenkamp will be hosting a Ginseng Workshop in September

The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service is offering a free seminar on Ginseng Production for homeowners who desire to grow “sang.” This program will be held on Thursday September 3 rd from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. online via Zoom.

Topics covered will be: state regulations for growing and hunting “sang”, plant physiology, present and historical use of ginseng and comparing Asian versus American ginseng. Major time and emphasis of the program will be dedicated to the woods simulated cultural practices such as: site selection and preparation, sowing, harvesting, drying the roots and seed stratification.

To register go to the Eventbrite link at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ginseng-production-tickets-115231454382

For more information contact the Macon County Extension Center at 828 349 2046 or e-mail Christy
Bredenkamp at clbreden@ncsu.edu


News Brief

Yesterday's COVID-19 report is available. [LINK]

Macon County Public Health Identifies a Cluster at a Macon County School

Macon County Public Health has identified a cluster of individuals at Franklin High School who have tested positive and are isolated from others. All staff and students who have potentially been exposed to these individuals have been contacted and will be tested for COVID-19.

In addition to Franklin High School staff and students, MCPH is working to identify any additional close contacts of these individuals. The CDC defines close contact as being within approximately 6 feet of a person with an infection with COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time of 10 minutes or longer. Based on
information provided by the individual/parent, county health officials will assess risks of exposure, determine which if any additional measures are needed such as temperature and symptom checks, quarantine and/or testing. MCPH’s Medical Director and Macon County Public Schools are working together to limit the spread of COVID-19 among staff, students, and the community.




General Forecast Through Friday Night


Today

Widespread fog with reduced visibility this morning. A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Otherwise, cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs ranging from the mid-70s in the higher elevations to the mid-80s in the lower elevations. Calm winds. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.


Tonight

A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then a slight chance of showers between 10pm and 11pm. Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with lows in the 60s. Calm winds. Chance of precipitation is 20%.


Thursday

Patchy fog in the morning. A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Otherwise, partly sunny, with highs ranging from the mid-70s in the higher elevations to the mid-80s in the lower elevations. Light and variable winds.


Thursday Night

A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the 60s. Calm winds. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with highs ranging from the mid-70s in the higher elevations to the mid-80s in the lower elevations. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the 60. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Hazards

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms can be expected today and Thursday and scattered to numerous thunderstorms can be expected Friday through Monday. A few storms could be strong to severe with strong to damaging winds, frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall.


Air Quality



Macon County, including the ridgetops, will be in the upper range of green today.



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Tropical Weather
(The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th)

Tropical Tidbit from Levi Cowan








Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Wed Aug 26 2020

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Laura, located over the central Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days.





Hurricane Laura

Hurricane Laura Discussion Number 25
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL132020
1000 PM CDT Tue Aug 25 2020

Laura's cloud pattern is becoming better organized on satellite images, with a banding feature over the eastern portion of the circulation and an expanding central dense overcast with cloud tops of -80C or colder. The upper-level outflow is becoming better established over the northwestern quadrant. Flight-level and SFMR-observed surface winds from NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum winds have increased to near 80 kt, and the central pressure is falling. The hurricane is expected to remain over SSTs near 30 deg C until it nears the coast, with only moderate vertical shear. The SHIPS Rapid Intensification Index shows a significant probability for a 25-30 kt increase in strength during the next 24 hours, and this is reflected in the official forecast. This is also between the simple and corrected intensity model consensus predictions. Laura will weaken rapidly after landfall, but it will likely bring hurricane-force winds well inland over extreme western Louisiana and eastern Texas.

Aircraft and satellite fixes show a continued west-northwestward track with an initial motion estimate near 300/15 kt. The track forecast reasoning has not changed. The hurricane should gradually turn toward the northwest and north over the next day or two as it moves around the western periphery of a mid-level high and into a weakness into the subtropical ridge. Later in the forecast period the cyclone should turn toward the east-northeast and move with increasing forward speed while embedded within the westerlies. The official track forecast is very similar to the previous one and also very close to the simple and corrected consensus track model predictions.

Users are again reminded not to focus on the exact details of the track or intensity forecasts as the average NHC track error at 36 h is around 60 miles and the average intensity error is close to 10 mph. In addition, wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards will extend far from the center.

Key Messages:

1. There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge with large and dangerous waves producing potentially catastrophic damage from San Luis Pass, Texas, to the Mouth of the Mississippi River, including areas inside the Port Arthur Hurricane Flood Protection system. This surge could penetrate up to 30 miles inland from the immediate coastline in southwestern Louisiana and far southeastern Texas.
Actions to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, as water levels will begin to rise on Wednesday.

2. Hurricane-force winds are expected Wednesday night in the warning area from San Luis Pass, Texas, to west of Morgan City, Louisiana, and the strongest winds associated with Laura's eyewall will occur somewhere within this area. Hurricane-force winds and widespread damaging wind gusts are also expected to spread well inland into portions of eastern Texas and western Louisiana early Thursday.

3. Widespread flash flooding along small streams, urban areas, and roadways is expected to begin Wednesday night into Thursday across far eastern Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. This will also lead to minor to isolated moderate river flooding. The heavy rainfall threat and localized flash and urban flooding potential will spread northeastward into the middle-Mississippi, lower Ohio and Tennessee Valleys Friday night and Saturday.


FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 26/0300Z 25.2N 89.5W 80 KT 90 MPH
12H 26/1200Z 26.5N 91.4W 95 KT 110 MPH
24H 27/0000Z 28.7N 93.1W 105 KT 120 MPH
36H 27/1200Z 31.2N 93.8W 70 KT 80 MPH...INLAND
48H 28/0000Z 33.7N 93.6W 40 KT 45 MPH...INLAND
60H 28/1200Z 36.0N 92.3W 30 KT 35 MPH...INLAND
72H 29/0000Z 37.2N 89.5W 25 KT 30 MPH...INLAND
96H 30/0000Z 38.0N 78.0W 30 KT 35 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
120H 31/0000Z 42.0N 65.0W 35 KT 40 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP









End Daily Weather Segment








Begin COVID-19 Update

It was a very busy day yesterday, so there is no COVID-19 update this morning.



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Published at 5:00am Wednesday, August 26, 2020

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