HURRICANE ISABEL becomes first Atlantic Category 5 Hurricane since 1998.....

National Hurricane Center ^ | September 11, 2003 | Pasch

[John H K]

BULLETIN HURRICANE ISABEL ADVISORY NUMBER 23 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 5 PM AST THU SEP 11 2003

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISABEL NOW AT CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY...

SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT HURRICANE ISABEL HAS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN...AND HAS REACHED CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ISABEL IS THE FIRST CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN SINCE MITCH OF 1998.

AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.6 NORTH... LONGITUDE 55.3 WEST OR ABOUT 500 MILES...805 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLAND.

ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MPH...260 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES... 95 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 921 MB...27.20 INCHES.

LARGE OCEAN SWELLS AND DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OVER PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND PUERTO RICO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.

REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...21.6 N... 55.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...160 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 921 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 PM AST.

FORECASTER PASCH

[Howlin]

[PJ-Comix]

I think it will go north of you, just my opinion.

There is something about Florida's East coast that tend to veer hurricanes towards the north (an exception being Andrew). Maybe it is the Gulfstream effect.

[stainlessbanner]

I remember seeing the tornado offshoots pingpong thru the mountains up one side and down again. Hugo was a beast.

[NCC-1701]

There's a monster lurking about in the Atlantic. Is there any such thing as a cat 5 hurricane? At any rate, that would be quite a ride with the hurricane hunters. That would definitely an E-ticket ride. Hope everyone in its path is safe.

[NCC-1701]

Sorry about the cat 5 question. Is there anything higher than that?

[brewcrew]

DemocRATS claim it's all Bush's fault.

Well, the government IS controlling the weather.

[UCANSEE2]

Looks very similar to Hubble pictures of distant galaxies.

[ASA Vet]

Thanks, I have a niece in Korea.

[HEY4QDEMS]

I wonder what effect, if any, the cold front that currently stretches from Texas to Minnessota will have on the intensity and direction Miss Isabel takes

It could have a major impact, however, there is a cold air pocket in the Atlantic off the northeast coast. If Isabelle gets close enough to it, it will more than likely be pulled north, if not, then the cold front stretchin up the center of the continent will pull her ashore.

Heat always seeks out cold.

[UCANSEE2]

Just got to your post, to find you beat me to that thought.

[Wthrman13]

Cool, I thought so. I haven't posted on FR for a while, but often browse the threads.

[The Hose]

I'm counting on that cold front coming from the Pacific NW to maintain its push and power its way across our great country and save my you know what in Mt. Pleasant, SC (right in the middle of your target area thank you very much!). I just moved here from the deserts of SE NM and we didn't have to pay too much attention to these things out there. I seem to spend a lot of time looking at satellite imagery lately ya know? Life's interesting out here and I like it that way, but I'm ready to scoot when its time. Dog Gone, BobTheNailer told me to say hi, so........hi eh?

[Constitution Day]

William, aren't you new to North Carolina? Don't EVER say you're too far north!

So true!
BTW, it's getting close to the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Floyd.

Catch y'all later,
CD

[gathersnomoss]

My wife and I were doing relief efforts in Charlston the Saturday after Hugo hit. That was one scene I will never forget

[gcruse]

Thanks. Socal. I'm on a different computer and need an HTML editor or I would have done that.

[Dan from Michigan]

I hope it dies down, but could this be a GILBERT?

[PJ-Comix]

Here is a historical map of Hurricanes on a similar track to Isabel. As you notice they all tend to veer sharply north after their westward track. and most of the time they make their northward move BEFORE hitting South Florida.

[staytrue]

The cold front should intensify the hurricane which is basically a heat engine, transfering heat from the warm water to the colder air heat sink. The bigger the temp difference makes a better engine.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I thought that this was the fault of Britney kissing Madonna?

But it will miss Florida, because Jeb was elected and they just put the 10 commandments in a Florida govt bldg. But it will dodge Florida and hit Montgomery, Alabama. No, make that every precinct in AL that voted against the 'Income Tax for Jesus' increase.

So who needs meteorology training?

[Husker24]

About the only thing missing from the Bush presidency is a major hurricane and a large earthquake.........lol