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Isabel edges into eastern North Carolina
9/18/2003 11:15 A.M.
Betsy Abrams, Sr. Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

Isabel remains a category two hurricane as the eye wall moves over the Outer Banks. As the large eye moves northwestward across the Outer Banks between Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout, the strong winds will rapidly diminish in the eye and then pick right up again once the eye passes by. Flash flood watches are posted from North Carolina to Pennsylvania. Storm surge is a major problem as well, considering high tide is around the time of landfall with water roughly two feet higher than it would be at low tide. A storm surge on the order of 8-12 feet is possible, and rainfall near 6 to 10 inches near landfall. A surge of 4-8 feet will likely extend up the East Coast a long way making this a big coastal flooding erosion event. Isabel should weaken quickly once inland and accelerate northwestward and then northward resulting in rainfall farther north of 5 inches or less. Waves will peak at 25 feet to possible 30 feet on the southeast coast of NC, with waves as high as 15-20 feet affecting VA, NJ, NY coasts the next 18-24 hours. PEOPLE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM WATER! On the west end of Ocracoke Island, there has been a report of an 80 mph sustained wind with a gust to 98 mph. The automated reporting station at Frying Pan Shoals, NC has had sustained winds to 70 mph with gusts to 81 mph while Cape Lookout had a gust to 77 mph. So far, Cape Hatteras has had almost 2.75 inches of rain and wind gusts between 68 and 79 mph. Gusts have been as high as 69 mph at Elizabeth City and 64 mph at Morehead City.