Posted on 09/17/2003 8:14:30 PM PDT by 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
LOL. yup. I kinda think there's a brotherhood among linemen as there is among firemen (well, you know, union and corporate contract BS aside). There aren't enough qualified folk in the states to fix a nationwide crisis because our power companies employ just above maintenance levels and count on help from the outer regions when TSHTF.
actually, it seems to my small engineer brain as a very efficient way to do things, and these guys are paid well.... but, man, they leave their families and put another part of the country back together as if it was their family sitting in the cold and dark.
okay, I'm done. (does it show my dad was an exec for a power co?)
It has been calm for the last 2 hours, I can't believe they are blowing us off!
We're in SE PA (Montgomery Cty). Power went out in our area around 6:30. Fortunately, we switched to generator when the lights started to flicker, so we're OK. It's been gusty all day, moreso after dark. We're relieved that rain has been minimal so far. We're on a creek, and also surrounded by poorly rooted 100+ foot tulip poplars. Not a good situation in saturating rains and high winds.
The best NC news site WRAL is jammed. I have been trying to locate other power company sites indicating outages. Nothing compares to the Dominion Power site that I can find.
We are pretty much left to hope and pray at this point. Morning won't come too soon for a lot of folks in Isabel's path tonight.
It must have knocked that buoy over.
Welcome back to freepaholics anonymous...
(all) Hi, Abner!
I wish! He is on his way to bed. LOL!
Inland flooding is a major concern here because it's been such a wet summer -- all of the rivers in the Delaware, Raritan, Passaic, and Hackensack river basins are running higher than normal, and the soil won't retain any additional moisture because it is already saturated.
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