T.D. 2

[Pipe_Dream]

Statement as of 2:00 PM EDT on July 18, 2006

Tropical depression getting better organized off the North Carolina coast.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the eastern coast of North Carolina from north of Cape Lookout northward to south of Currituck Beach Light.

At 200 PM EDT the center of Tropical Depression Two was located near latitude 32.8 north...longitude 73.4 west or about 210 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.

The depression is moving toward the north near 5 mph. A slow turn toward the north-northwest or northwest is expected to occur later tonight or Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph...with higher
gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and the depression could become a tropical storm later today or tonight. An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft currently investigating the depression will provide a better assessment of its location and strength later today.