000 ACUS72 KILM 032050 PSHILM POST TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT...TROPICAL STORM GASTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 450 PM EDT FRI SEP 3 2004 GASTON WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE AFTERNOON OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, WHEN THE CENTER WAS 135 MILES SE OF CHARLESTON SC. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH WAS ISSUED FOR THE COAST OF GA, SC AND NC TO SURF CITY. ON THE MORNING OF THE 28TH, GASTON REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR THE SC COAST. LATER THAT DAY THE SC COAST WAS ALSO PUT IN A HURRICANE WATCH, AND THAT NIGHT A HURRICANE WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR THE SC COAST WITH A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE NC COAST TO SURF CITY, AS A FLOOD WATCH AND TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH WERE ISSUED FOR THE COUNTIES AWAY FROM THE COAST. DURING THE MORNING OF THE 29TH GASTON STRENGTHENED AS IT APPROACHED THE COAST, AND THE TROPICAL STORM WIND WATCH FOR INLAND COUNTIES WAS UPGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING. AT ABOUT 10 AM, GASTON MADE LANDFALL IN CHARLESTON COUNTY SC AT BULLS BAY, JUST W OF MCCLELLANVILLE WITH WINDS AROUND 70 MPH, JUST BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH. GASTON WEAKENED THAT DAY AND NIGHT AS IT MOVED INLAND OVER CHARLESTON COUNTY AND ACROSS BERKELEY, GEORGETOWN, WILLIAMSBURG AND FLORENCE COUNTIES. OVER MARION COUNTY, SUSTAINED WINDS FELL BELOW TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH (39 MPH), AND GASTON CROSSED DILLON COUNTY INTO NC DURING THE EARLY MORNING OF AUG 30. THIS REPORT COVERS THE COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA: PENDER...NEW HANOVER...BRUNSWICK...BLADEN...COLUMBUS..ROBESON AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA: HORRY...GEORGETOWN...MARION...DILLON...FLORENCE...WILLIAMSBURG... DARLINGTON...MARLBORO ALL TIMES UCT...TO CONVERT TO EDT SUBTRACT 4 HOURS. WIND IS IN KNOTS...TO CONVERT TO MPH MULTIPLY BY 1.15 . OCCURRED ON DATE 8/29/04 UNLESS NOTED. A. HIGHEST WINDS... OFFICIAL NWS OR FAA SITES: FLORENCE SC AIRPORT (FLO) MAX 2 MINUTE 010/30 KT AT 2300Z PEAK WIND 020/41 KT AT 2259Z NORTH MYRTLE BEACH SC AIRPORT (CRE) MAX 2 MINUTE 200/31 KT AT 0040Z ON 8/30 PEAK WIND 200/39 KT AT 2356Z MYRTLE BEACH SC AIRPORT (MYR) MAX 2 MINUTE 200/28 KT AT 0053Z ON 8/30 PEAK WIND 200/39 KT AT 2356Z LUMBERTON NC AIRPORT (LBT) MAX 2 MINUTE 120/27 KT AT 0326Z ON 8/30 PEAK WIND 130/35 KT AT 0352Z ON 8/30 WILMINGTON NC AIRPORT (ILM) MAX 2 MINUTE 130/22 KT AT 1738Z PEAK WIND 130/28 KT AT 1810Z JOHNNIE MERCER PIER WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH NC (READINGS EVERY 6 MINUTES) MAX 6 MINUTE 154/29 KT AT 1830Z PEAK WIND 142/33 KT AT 1912Z SUNSET BEACH PIER NC PEAK WIND 187/36 KT AT 2100Z (HOURLY READINGS) WHITEVILLE NC, COLUMBUS COUNTY (READINGS EVERY 20 MINUTES) 180/19G30 KT AT 06Z-07Z ON 8/30 SPRINGMAID PIER MYRTLE BEACH SC (READINGS EVERY 18 MINUTES) MAX 6 MINUTE 168/39 KT AT 2200Z PEAK WIND 50 KT AT 2212Z COASTAL WATERS NDBC BUOY 41013 FRYING PAN SHOALS...35 NM SE OF BALD HEAD ISLAND 8 MINUTE AVG SUSTAINED WIND 180/21G27 KT AT 21Z UNOFFICIAL SITES WHERE WIND EXCEEDED 30 KT: NEW HANOVER COUNTY: WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH PEAK WIND 190/33 KT AT 8/30/0500Z CAROLINA BEACH PEAK WIND 225/39 KT AT 8/30/O250Z GEORGETOWN COUNTY: GEORGETOWN FIRE DEPT PEAK WIND 43 KT AT 1820Z B. LOWEST SEA LEVEL PRESSURE... WILMINGTON NC AIRPORT (ILM) 1009.1 MB AT 0038Z ON 8/30 JOHNNIE MERCER PIER WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH NC 1008.8 MB AT 2300Z SUNSET BEACH NC PIER (POSSIBLE PIER LEVEL) 1005.8 MB AT 2200Z NORTH MYRTLE BEACH SC AIRPORT (CRE) 1004.7 MB AT 2234Z SPRINGMAID PIER MYRTLE BEACH SC 1002.6 MB AT 2124Z FLORENCE AIRPORT (FLO) 998.6 MB AT 0058Z ON 8/30 LUMBERTON AIRPORT (LBT) 1001.4 MB AT 0641Z ON 8/30 NDBC BUOY 41013 FRYING PAN SHOALS... 1009.4 MB AT 2050Z C. RAINFALL SWATH OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS FROM SC...BERKELEY AND WESTERN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES THROUGH FLORENCE AND DARLINGTON COUNTIES... TAPERING NORTH INTO ROBESON COUNTY NC. MAXIMUM ACCUMULATIONS AROUND 11 INCHES...MAINLY IN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY. 48 HOUR RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS FROM 12Z AUG 28 - 12Z AUG 30 NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON AIRPORT 1.02 WHITEVILLE COLUMBUS COUNTY AIRPORT 1.17 ELIZABETHTOWN CO-OP 1.01 LUMBERTON AIRPORT 3.37 LUMBERTON 3SE 3.36 BURGAW 3W CO-OP 0.50 LONGWOOD 2.68 MOORES CREEK 0.85 FAIR BLUFF 3.01 RED SPRINGS 6.10 SHALLOTTE 5W 1.41 SOUTH CAROLINA NORTH MYRTLE BEACH 1.69 MYRTLE BEACH 0.47 LORIS 2.87 OUTLAND (GEORGETOWN COUNTY) 3.91 FLORENCE 4.36 LAKE CITY 6.45 HARTSVILLE 2.81 DARLINGTON 5.55 DARLINGTON AIRPORT 6.00...4.22 FELL FROM 29/21Z-30/03Z MCCOLL 5.84 MULLINS 2.24 PEE DEE 3.41 DILLON 4.46 CADES 9.83 KINGSTREE 10.5 GEORGETOWN 3.80 ANDREWS 5.3 D. STORM TIDES... SOUTH CAROLINA BEACHES...THE ONSHORE WIND CAUSED A MORNING TIDE ABOUT 1 FT ABOVE NORMAL WHILE THE EVENING TIDE WAS ABOUT NORMAL. ON THE NORTH CAROLINA BEACHES THE MORNING TIDE WAS ABOUT NORMAL...WHILE ONSHORE WIND IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY CAUSED TIDES ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE NORMAL. E. BEACH EROSION... BRUNSWICK COUNTY: BALD HEAD ISLAND (CAPE FEAR) LOST MORE BEACH ALONG A SANDBAGGED AREA...SANDBAGS WERE WASHED AWAY AND ABOUT 4 FEET MORE ASPHALT WAS LOST FROM A ROAD ERODED BY ALEX AND CHARLIE EARLIER IN THE MONTH. OCEAN ISLE BEACH HAD MINOR EROSION ON THE EAST SIDE. NO EROSION REPORTED ELSEWHERE. F. FLOODING... HEAVY RAINS (SEE PART C.) CAUSED PONDING IN GEORGETOWN SC DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON THE 29TH...WHICH SUBSIDED LATER IN THE MORNING. WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY HAD FLOODING DURING THE DAY ON THE 29TH ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE COUNTY...WITH UP TO 5 FT OF WATER REPORTED IN A PARKING LOT IN KINGSTREE. WATER WAS STILL SUBSIDING IN THE LOW LYING AREAS LATER IN THE WEEK. FLASH FLOODING OCCURRED IN LAKE CITY (FLORENCE COUNTY) AND IN DARLINGTON DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...FROM ABOUT 22Z TO 30/01Z G. TORNADOES... MARLBORO COUNTY SC - A F1 TORNADO OCCURRED AT ABOUT 1900Z, 4 MILES NE OF WALLACE, WITH A SPOTTY DAMAGE PATH ABOUT 1 MILE LONG AND UP TO MILE WIDE...CAUSING $10K DAMAGE TO TREES AND BUILDINGS. H. STORM EFFECTS... DOWNED TREE LIMBS CAUSED SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES MAINLY IN SC. RAINWATER PONDING AND FLOODING...MAINLY IN SC. INJURIES/DEATHS: NONE REPORTED. DAMAGE: WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY: PUBLIC ASSISTANCE COST $300K AND UNINSURED DAMAGE MORE THAN $20K. $$ END/TM