HURRICANE ISABEL becomes first Atlantic Category 5 Hurricane since 1998.....

National Hurricane Center ^ | September 11, 2003 | Pasch

[PJ-Comix]

ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH

This is the part that is frightening. I'm in South Florida and Isabel seems to be headed STRAIGHT at us. Wasn't the last hurricane to be a Category 5, Hurricane Floyd? Floyd was headed straight at us but at the last moment a high pressure front veered it sharply north.

[Howlin]

William, aren't you new to North Carolina? Don't EVER say you're too far north!

[dirtboy]

Floyd never made it quite to Cat 5. But it more than made up for it in the rainfall department.

[Moose4]

Considering I live in Columbia, SC--inland about halfway between Savannah and Myrtle Beach--I sure hope you're wrong. :) For one thing, my wife and I are supposed to be exhibiting in a four-day outdoor art/craft fair in Charlotte next weekend, which would be right about the time ol' Izzy would come to visit if she makes it up here. I just hope she turns out to sea and misses populated areas, because that thing is going to really rip up whatever gets in its way.

}:-)4

[ASA Vet]

Actually we're both wrong.
It's going NW at K knots.
Korea is N of it, and Taiwan is W.
It should hit mainland China if the direction doesn't change.

[John H K]

Floyd peaked as a strong Category 4. Floyd was a "wider" storm however, than Isabel.

Floyd was also somewhat south of Isabel at the same distance east of Florida. Also, Floyd was a tropical storm at the same distance east of Florida Isabel is now.

Even if Isabel continued due west (and that seems somewhat unlikely) it would take 7 days to reach Florida.

[PJ-Comix]

Floyd never made it quite to Cat 5.

Maybe but Floyd was HUGE. It was heading straight towards Ft. Lauderdale and then less than a hundred miles away made a sharp turn towards the north.

[LBelle]

LBelle is pregnant with first child in Islamorada, Florida Keys and doesn't want to evacuate. Say prayers......

[So Cal Rocket]

I don't want it to hit me. But by the looks of it, I', too far north.

Take a look at the storm track from Hugo in 1989...

Isabel is well north of where Hugo was at this point in its travels and made a direct hit in SC.

STAY SAFE!

[dirtboy]

Mitch was the last Cat 5 in 1998. And, like Floyd, it killed with rain, not wind - the worst of its winds abated as it stalled just offshore from Central America. But that slow movement allowed several feet of rain to fall and kill nearly 10,000 people.

[oceanview]

I think it will go north of you, just my opinion.

[Sender]

I'd rather be on a sailboat in that storm than in the crowd outside Arafat's compound. Better chance of survival.

[Wthrman13]

Derecho, is that you?

Anyway, I'll be heading out with the DOWs next week to intercept Isabel, assuming it does actually make landfall. Should be an interesting experience!

[dirtboy]

It should hit mainland China if the direction doesn't change.

The forecast map has it recurving fairly sharply to the north, into southern Korea and then back out to sea on a line north of the Japanese archipelago...

[John H K]

The JTWC (Joint Typhoon Warning Center, US Military) official forecast track has Maemi hitting Korea...

http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc/warnings/wp1503.gif

Also it's weakened to 120 kts as of the latest advisory, so it's considerably weaker than Isabel.

[PJ-Comix]

I remember Mitch. I knew an American couple that were living on an Island off of Central American and they were in that hurricane for the better part of a week. It just wouldn't go away.

[NCC-1701]

Surf's up!

[So Cal Rocket]

What it looks like is the whirlpool galaxy. There's a lesson there....

[John H K]

Dan,

Hey, suprised to see you here :-) Yes, it's me.

[ASA Vet]

duh, 5 knots