The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 2.7 million people living along the East Coast in North Carolina and Virginia could experience tropical and hurricane storm force winds as Hurricane Ophelia nears landfall somewhere along the Outer Banks of North Carolina (from Cape Lookout to Cape Hatteras).

     There are 16 coastal counties in North Carolina in the hurricane warning area, with a total population of more than 700,000. Census Bureau population estimates show that in 2004, New Hanover County (which includes Wilmington, N.C.) had a population of about 174,000 and is the most populated coastal county in Hurricane Ophelia’s path. Other coastal counties bracing for the storm’s impact include Bertie (population 19,600), Brunswick (85,000), Camden (8,400), Carteret (62,000), Chowan (14,600), Currituck (22,000), Dare (34,000), Hyde (6,000), Onslow (154,000), Pamlico (12,800), Pasquotank (37,000), Pender (45,000), Perquimans (11,800), Tyrrell (4,100) and Washington (13,000).

     An estimated 824,000 people in Virginia are also in the hurricane watch and tropical storm warning areas – including those in the cities of Hampton (146,000), Norfolk (238,000) and Virginia Beach (440,000).

     Yesterday, as then-Tropical Storm Ophelia moved north along the Atlantic Coast, nearly 1 million South Carolina residents experienced tropical storm force winds.

     Based on the latest storm advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center at 11 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Ophelia has maximum sustained winds near 85 miles per hour, with hurricane force winds extending 50 miles and tropical force winds reaching outward 140 miles. Hurricane Ophelia is the 15th named storm of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

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