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

NHC | 9-17-03 | My Favorite Headache

[glock rocks]

Virginia beach pier is getting torn up. MSNBC.

[Howlin]

You're going to need a picture to prove that.

[iceskater]

Really? Worse than Gore? That's hard to imagine....

[ShakeNJake]

Spoken like a person who has never been through a hurricane. I was born and raised in Portsmouth, Va, but have lived in Texas for 25 years now. I have been through hurricanes, typhoons (while in the P.I.), tornados and Texas spring storms.

While we do get high winds during spring thunderstorms, those winds only blow through for a very short time as spring storms move very quickly. Sometimes, 5-15 minutes is all while the thunderstorm moves through an area. This does damage roofs and bring down trees, but since the time period involved is so short, the damage is minimal.

A hurricane blows for a much longer period of time as it moves through an area. Thus, the damage potential and threat to life is much greater from both the winds and the rain/storm surges/flooding.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

Ususally the air feels "balmy," if you understand. I mean, it's almost like you can "feel" the tropics in the air.

We were able to get just a whiff of that tropical ocean air here in the WNC mountains during Floyd, but it hasn't come in yet with Isabel -- this afternoon, maybe.

We are seeing the outermost bands of clounds from Isabel in the upper atmosphere now, just above the ridgeline of the Blue Ridge -- skies to the west are sunny and clear, temps in the 50s moving into the 60s. Sorry you folks in the east aren't sharing our mountain weather today!

[Gabz]

There were trees down yesterday and the wind was only 23mph in the afternoon.

We had such severe flooding 2 weeks ago and then a heep of rain last friday and saturday - I'm seriously worried about the trees.

A couple of the locals were talking on Monday and Tuesday and bemoaning the fact that there has not been enough long term growth for the new trees that have been planted to replace what had been removed.

[Howlin]

He speaks as if he's had a prefrontal lobotomy. Absolutely no emotion.

[xsmommy]

every state has their own goofballs. you just have a few more out there! gravitational pull or high tide or some such ; )

[Howlin]

Take a picture!

[iceskater]

Then it sounds like soil erosion could be another big problem for you.

[HoHoeHeaux]

My sister lives in Chesapeake, her daughter in Richmond. She has gone to Richmond but BIL stayed behind. They have already lost a tree in their yard so the winds are fierce. In Richmond all shops are still open. Stay safe all! And thanks to everyoen here for keeping us updated. I am channel surfing and usually watch Fox but CNN seems to have this covered more thoroughly.

[TBall]

I don't want to turn on all the lady Freepers.

[Hatteras]

The first rescue of Hurricane Isabel has already taken place:

Hurricane Isabel's Visit
An updated report from the village
September 18, 2003

11am update - Water levels continue to rise. High winds and high water forced our neighbor Marsh Shirk to rescue the Duck pond ducks from under her home. Click here

[xsmommy]

oh c'mon. we can take it! we need distracting from the storm anyway!

[Howlin]

I'll take that as a "can't prove it." :-)

[iceskater]

In Richmond all shops are still open.

Heck, they're even going ahead with the planned opening of a new shopping mall today! I would've thought they would've postponed but noooooo. Needless to say, I'm not heading to the new mall today. Those people are nuts.

[Jonah Hex]

OK, we just lost power. I'm signing off and shutting down.

See you on the other side of the storm!

[honeygrl]

the eye has now hit land.

[Howlin]

Wonder why she didn't move them yesterday?

And I also wonder if Tennessee Ronnie is his given name. :-)

[Jonah Hex]

Signing off from Newport News, VA.