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

[Interesting Times]

Portions of the Virginia Beach pier are now gone...

[steveegg]

MSNBC crew about to get blown off a causeway in Morehead. Claims it's great.

[Howlin]

No kidding?

[justshe]

Great?

Is intelligence a requirement for working at MSNBC?

[Howlin]

That's the eye, isn't it?????

[Slip18]

< snicker > Great screen catch!

[Gabz]

Thank you.

It just struck me strange.

My "LOcal " news is out of Salisbury MD - and DelMarVA is always referred to just as The Peninsula.

When I watching WAVY10 a little while ago they made a reference to the peninsula and of course I thought they were talking about us - but then when I went to see I realized it was somewhere else!!!

Again, thanks for the info, appreciate it.

[steveegg]

Doesn't sound like the Goron's in the eye. Lots of wind noise.

[Howlin]

I just caught that shot; they are actually in Morehead City, on Arendell Street, where your turn to go ONTO the causeway.......you can see it in the background. They are about a quarter of a mile from the sound.

[COBOL2Java]

Glad your Mom's on the West side of the city, and not down near the waterfront. Old Town Alexandria is bracing for some nasty flooding. My house is on an elevated area, so don't expect flooding, but commuting after this is over will not be much fun!

[steveegg]

Is intelligence a requirement for working at MSNBC?

No.

[justshe]

Indian Beach, NC unofficial wind meter clocking 49 miles per hour BEHIND buildings blocking the winds. FNC.

[Overtaxed]

A friend of mine moved here (Fairfax) from Nebraska. She says all the trees in her neighborhood give her claustrophobia.

Even after all those trees we lost with Fran and the ice storm? :)

I'm back in the woods with a lot of mature pine trees, hickories, a few oaks, and poplars. I had some maples but the ice storm broke the crowns off.

[steveegg]

They're moving around, and were actually on the causeway when I tuned in.

[Howlin]

That's on the west end of Atlantic Beach/Emerald Isle.

It's about 400 yards wide there between the ocean and the sound!

[mikegi]

How can that be? Did they put a fan on him?

Because the "reporters" are actors hyping a story. They stand near tall buildings so that they get the wind to funnel into their position. Ooooh, the drama. Also, it helps to leave water drops all over the camera lens so that the view is obscured.

[biblewonk]

The news show is all about selling soap, or what ever is being advertised between skits.

[steveegg]

Fresh position estimate:

WTNT51 KNHC 181554
TCEAT 
HURRICANE ISABEL POSITION ESTIMATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
12 PM EDT THU SEP 18 2003
 
AT 12 PM EDT...1600Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS
ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 34.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.9 WEST...OR ABOUT
35 MILES EAST OF CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.

FORECASTER FRANKLIN

[glock rocks]

and don't forget the dopey windbreakers with the floppy hoods... gotta have the hood slappin em in the wind.

sheesh. meanwhile, the locals are casually wandering around unassisted in t-shirts. TWC is competing with comedy central today.

[abner]

Those pics are too funny.