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

[Fitzcarraldo]

What happens when that cold front in the midwest hits what's left of the hurricane?

[Rebelbase]

Here in Greensboro its just blustery with driving rain. The roads are covered in leaf litter, the street lights are swaying and there are a few empty trash cans blowing around here and there.

[PleaseNoMore]

I have no idea. I am meterogically retarded. Can you offer any scenarios?

[EternalVigilance]

What happens when that cold front in the midwest hits what's left of the hurricane?

The rapture, quickly followed by Armaggedon...

[Overtaxed]

It seems like a magnet to me, but then I live there so I'm not sure if it's actually true or just my perception.

[abner]

Is the weatherbug a good feature, or just annoying?

[PleaseNoMore]

I just saw where Randolph co was getting some damage. That is right near you isn't it? I have a disabled aunt there in Asheboro and am worried about her as she is alone in the truest sense of the word. I am debating calling LE and seeing if it is possible to have someone check on her. I last spoke to her this AM and begged her to call someone to come sit with her but she is very proud and independent even though she is wheelchair bound.

[Fitzcarraldo]

LOL

[EternalVigilance]

What happens when that cold front in the midwest hits what's left of the hurricane?

Actually, to be serious, that is thunderstorm Babs coming out of the Midwest. When Babs meets Izzie, they're going to go to Canada and get married.

[PleaseNoMore]

It is actually true I think. :o)

My husband built a church in Pittsboro a few summers ago and he had to leave early every afternoon because of severe weather. It took him forever to get the thing built.

[putupon]

I suppose the VA Tech / Texas A&M game isn't going to happen tonight in Blacksburg.

Beamer has a history of canceling big games when the weather provides an excuse.

Go Aggies, Beat Tech!

[Rebelbase]

Asheboro is about 25 miles south of me. I watched the local news tonight, which covers Randolph Co., and there were no reports of any major damage.

[mrobison]

Oh, yeah. Well, I wonder if anybody lost their pet fishies.

[ForOurFuture]

The chirps it emits when a warning or alert comes out can be annoying, but that can be deactivated. Otherwise, depending on how close the nearest station is to your place, it's nice.

The nearest station to my hall is right on campus, so its probably within a mile or two. The nearest station to my house is a community college about 20 minutes away. Other have said the stations are at local high schools.

It tells wind speed and direction, rain rate and totals, temperature, pressure, humidity, dew point, and wind chill. It has forecasts, radar, local alerts and advisories, and about 30 live cameras from around the area. It's easy to download and use and it's free.

[mrobison]

"Laz virginity..."

Is that like Naval intelligence?

[PrivateIdaho]

I really like it. You can always see the current temperature and the best feature is that it chirps when there is a weather alert. Not too annoying - once in awhile you get a pop-up ad and a junk email, but not often.

[abner]

Thanks. I think I will get it. I don't like putting anything on the computer that will hijack the system...

[NautiNurse]

Hope it is a short lived outage. Keep us updated. We're praying for you.

[MEG33]

HUH?

[Interesting Times]

Actually, to be serious, that is thunderstorm Babs coming out of the Midwest. When Babs meets Izzie, they're going to go to Canada and get married.

I wish I'd posted that.

Here is the Dominion Electric outage summary page.

1.2 million without power at the moment...