Hurricane Isabel:Live Thread #2 "Force Ten Conditions In North Carolina And Further North"

NHC | 9-17-03 | My Favorite Headache

[My Favorite Headache]

Hurricane Isabel Advisory Number 48

Statement as of 11:00 PM EDT on September 17, 2003

...Outer bands of Hurricane Isabel moving onshore...weather should gradually worsen...

A Hurricane Warning remains in effect from Cape Fear North Carolina to Chincoteague Virginia...including Pamlico and Albemarle sounds...and the Chesapeake Bay south of Smith Point. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area...generally within 24 hours.

All preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion in the Hurricane Warning area.

A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect south of Cape Fear to South Santee River South Carolina...and north of Chincoteague to Sandy Hook New Jersey...including Delaware Bay. A Tropical Storm Warning also remains in effect for the Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point northward...and for the tidal Potomac.

At 11 PM EDT...0300z...the center of Hurricane Isabel was located by an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft near latitude 31.9 north... longitude 73.9 west or about 250 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.

Isabel is moving toward the north-northwest near 13 mph. A turn to the northwest with an increase in forward speed is expected prior to landfall. On the forecast track...the center of Isabel is expected to make landfall in eastern North Carolina during the day Thursday. However...conditions will deteriorate over a large area well before the center reaches the coast. Tropical storm conditions are already spreading across the coastline.

Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph...with higher gusts. A slight increase in strength is possible prior to landfall.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 315 miles. A buoy located west of the hurricane recently reported wind gusts to 74 mph and 32 foot waves.

An Air Force hurricane hunter plane recently reported a minimum central pressure of 956 mb...28.23 inches.

Storm surge flooding of 7 to 11 feet above normal tide levels... along with extremely large and dangerous battering waves...is expected near and to the north of where the center crosses the coast. Storm surge flooding of 4 to 8 ft above normal tide levels is expected in Chesapeake Bay and the tidal portions of adjacent rivers.

Storm total rainfalls of 6 to 10 inches...with locally higher amounts...are likely in association with Isabel.

There is a threat of isolated tornadoes over eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia on Thursday.

Repeating the 11 PM EDT position...31.9 N... 73.9 W. Movement toward...north-northwest near 13 mph. Maximum sustained winds...105 mph. Minimum central pressure... 956 mb.

For storm information specific to your area...please monitor products issued by your local weather office.

An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 2 am EDT followed by the next complete advisory at 5 am EDT.

Forecaster Avila

[NautiNurse]

Ouch--three storm shelters in VA Beach have lost power.

[MoJo2001]

Hello! Power out here in Hampton. (Thank God for generators!) Anyways, the pier at Buckroe Beach is down. I live about a mile from Buckroe Beach and it's getting pretty bad. Trees are coming down everywhere on The Peninsula. Everyone that can read this in the Hampton Roads Area and Coastal Carolina: Stay Safe!

Oh! A power line has come down in Buckroe. I don't have power anyways. So? Try to stay safe!

For those that haven't seen Isabel yet, be prepared!

[nunya bidness]

Winds clocked at 50mph at the Chesapeake Bay bridge; it's closing in the next 10 minutes.

[putupon]

Thanks, they were showing the SRII this morning, the seas were already at it then. It's suffered alot of erosion before the storm, so I think thats why they went there first. I didn't think anyone with any sense would stay there in this weather.

Hang tough.

[Howlin]

Hampton, VA Beach, around there.

[MoJo2001]

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge has been closed for 2 hours. My neighbor works there and they closed it awhile ago.

[MEG33]

Post 74,this thread.

[wimpycat]

Well, the downside to living on the "good" side of town is she's got all those tree-lined streets.

Did you see the guy on Fox News just now! LOL! His pants were coming down! I think he's in VA Beach.

[wimpycat]

LOL! I guess so!

[meyer]

Jeff Goldblat (spelling?) is fighting the storm right now. He's really leaning into the wind, having a really tough time just walking down the street. He's laying down now. Cantore has nothing on him. :)

I hope he seeks shelter soon.

[Slip18]

I think I see the lighthouse or is that a surfer with the board going straight up?

Are you okay, Lazzie?

Jeff from FOX News is getting blown away. I don't think this one is fake. Now he's walking straight. I think he was in a wind tunnel.

[NCjim]

After the ice storm we had 8 removed and all the trees pruned of dead or damaged branches. That has paid off big time. We still have branches falling though, and the last big crash was the chimney cap lifting off and rolling down the roof. Brought everyone to their feet! :-( Can't wait for 3:00 to get here when it gets worse...

[1Old Pro]

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Camera

[rintense]

Exactly why I captioned Bush! LOL!

[Howlin]

Trying to find out what the big "bump" on the roof was.

I forgot to get out my "storm gear." Had to go looking for something to wear outside.

[MEG33]

I'm hoping and praying for you guys.

[Mo1]

Did you see the guy on Fox News just now! LOL! His pants were coming down! I think he's in VA Beach

I did *L*

The wind was so strong it knocked him to the ground

[putupon]

Apparently the power is out at Johnston-Willis hospital...assume they have backup generators.

I'm sure they do.

Of topic, Rush has a caller from B'burg on right now, served w/ Wes Clark, telling all kinds of good trash on the man. Called him a "maniacal general".

[wimpycat]

I'm going to sign off again for a little while to check out what's on the TV. It's not in the same room as my computer.

[mykdsmom]

Odd that Elizabeth Gardner from WRAL said that this is her fourth hurricane and by far the worst....confusing because the forecasts downgraded it so much that it appeared to be a minimal hurricane.

Just the reports that were coming in from the buoys last night indicated otherwise. So many conflicting reports flying around the past few days have made it difficult to know what to expect.

MKM