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]

Did you mention you got a generator?

[NCjim]

I saw a web page a while back with wind/rain stats from central N.C. but nothing from the coast. Has anyone seen anything on the web especially about western Carteret County? I saw the flooding report from eastern Carteret County and Atlantic.

[edwin hubble]

re: Aggies... they are playing Va Tech right now.

These folks are serious about football.

My brother (Va Tech alum) drove his family through the hurricane to get to the game in Blacksburg from Norfolk. He had to stop several times to clear limbs from the road.

[U S Army EOD]

My father was Profesor of Military Science at the ROTC at NC State during the mid 50's. This is what had us living in Raleigh. The only basketball players I can remember back then was Ronnie Shavlic and one with a name something like Kasonivich.

[NautiNurse]

Seems we haven't heard from hatteras since about noon. Local storm report indicates Cary took a beating with downed trees.

[abner]

Did you mention you got a generator?

Yes, but hooking it up is beyond my scope of expertise and VOC explains that he doesn't want to hook it up unless the power is out for a day or two.... I'm still trying to wrap that one around my little head... LOL!

[NautiNurse]

there may be something to that. Generators are terribly noisy. After a day or so of silence, you may welcome the incessant roar of a generator...

[abner]

Silence? What's that? I must have noise!!!!

[MEG33]

I just found the game on TV.I thought Texans were football crazy!Seems it's widespread.

[U S Army EOD]

Make sure she shuts off the power to anything on the rear deck.

[rwfromkansas]

They died because they were idiots.

Even in my statements I never encouraged people to go take a walk on the beach. That is a death wish.

[rwfromkansas]

just posted. I did not see it.

[glock rocks]

We haven't heard from Gabz since 2:30pm.

She lives on a small penninsula between the Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay just north of the landfall zone in southeastern VA, home alone with her 5yr old daughter.

Think about it.

[Interesting Times]

As of 8:28 Eastern, 1,411,823 of 2,215,825 Dominion Power customers are without power. Amazing.

[rwfromkansas]

lol

[Fitzcarraldo]

At buoy CHLV2, the wind is still gusting at 66 kts and the waves are 20 feet.

http://seaboard.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.phtml?$station=chlv2

[Jackie-O]

Thanks honey...I'm still trying. I know he is ok, he's been thru this many times. I will feel better when I speak with him tho.

[abner]

And who knows how many Peco Energy customers... .Signing off for awhile. Got to conserve laptop power......

[rwfromkansas]

Stay safe EV

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks.

It's actually calmed down here for the moment. Rain quit, winds still gusty but not too bad. Took a walk a bit ago up towards the Capitol. Very eerie, with the almost deserted streets. Lots of LE around, but that's about it.

Still got power though, so I'm better off than all our friends over in VA. Hope it continues.