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

[uglybiker]

You know, each part of the country has it's dangerous situations - ...

Yeah. Here in Arizona we got all that killer sunshine and the low humidity really dries your skin out.

And in the winter, it sometimes gets down into the 50's! Brrrrr!

;-)

[Spirited]

Great Falls is up 3 times usual but not nearly where it has been in past.
We, to the west of the Capital, (in VA) are amazed at what we haven't had but have to thank God that prayers offered by so many all over the nation on our account can get through. Local forecast says we can expect 2 inches. That is not threatening except perhaps in downtown Alexandria.

Our power still hiccups from time to time but has not gone down, for which we are thankful.
Our hearts and prayers go out to those being inundated with 16" in the corners where PA, VA, WV and MD abut.
I hope that someone has heard from Gabz, too.

[MEG33]

Thinking of you and know you are too busy to post.God Bless.

[EternalVigilance]

Yeah. We seem to be dodging the bullet. But unfortunately, the bullet has to go somewhere.

I have a number of friends in the eastern panhandle of WV...including FReeper 'Xthe17th'. I pinged him to this thread, hoping he would pop in, but he hasn't.

[EternalVigilance]

I do have some friends in Alexandria whose power has been out since about ten after four.

Glad to hear you've kept yours on. I have too, and am thankful.

[Dianna]

Does anyone know how the cities northwest of Baltimore have fared? My parents live near Towson, Bel Air, thataways. I see that some power is out in Harford County. I'd like to know how everything is but I would hate to wake them up if they're sleeping. My mom HATES storms and she's liable to be a wreck.

[MEG33]

I started to feel that floating sensation in a 77 Cadillac crossing a bridge ,going to be with my mother while she had surgery.

All I could see was water and workmen on the other side of the creek crossing.

I went...foolishly but God was good and I made it.The cars behind me backed up!I have avoided driving when it rains when I am in unfamiliar territory since.

You don't know the force of the water or the depth when driving through it!

[katnip]

This is what it looked like here today at Rockaway Beach NY.

[EternalVigilance]

I don't know about the situation over that way, sorry. But looking at these maps it sure looks like everything is taking a pretty hard left turn west, doesn't it?

The winds here have gotten more intense in the last fifteen minutes. It seems to come in steady waves...calms down for a couple minutes, then blows real hard for a couple.

[MEG33]

Great picture.

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks for backing up that point. It's a life or death issue.

[EternalVigilance]

I started to feel that floating sensation in a 77 Cadillac..

Good thing you were driving a 'boat', eh? LOL...

[sissyjane]

I only know that when it happened to us my children were very young-playing in the front yard with their friends, when everything went crazy. They came running into the house(with the front door swinging opened and closed)-I grabbed them and made them sit on the floor until the shaking stopped.


The strangest thing of all was to watch the pool water slosh from one end to the other. when it was over we had to put about four feet of water back into the pool. We had about three feet of plaster showing! YIKES!

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks, Linda! :-)

[katnip]

I wish I was the one who took it today instead of being in a stinky office.

[honeygrl]

She said she was located in Accomac county which probably got one hell of a storm assuming the city of Accomac is in that county. One of her posts said her area was under mandatory evacuation but i never heard her mention actually evacuating, which makes me worry.

[MEG33]

I will tell you my heart was in my throat when I realized what a fix I was in.Never again!

[kayak]

A couple of hundred posts or so back someone was talking about the football game being played tonight in Blacksburg .... and that brought comments about the school flag (UGA? ... forgive me if I have that wrong) at Saddam's palace.

I'm not going to go back and figure out who was in that conversation but whoever you were, I hope you're still here .....

..... you'll get a kick out of this story ......

East Tennessee troops leave an unmistakable icon in the desert (Vols paint Iraqi water tower)

[Mo1]

I just heard the strangest noise! I don't even know how to describe it. I'm wondering if a small twister came through...

Just Checking in .. The wind is really kicking around my way .. I heard a strange noise also .. it was a really odd and very loud