FReeper Storm Check-in (vanity)

9-19-03 | me

[NautiNurse]

Lots of folks relieved to hear from you. Glad you are safe, and in good spirits!

[Gabz]

Glad to hear everything worked out for you.

[wimpycat]

http://www.newbernsunjournal.com/Details.cfm?StoryID=11164

Carteret County takes a beating
By Jannette Pippin/Freedom ENC


MOREHEAD CITY -- Hurricane Isabel's reach extended across all of Carteret County, but the area known as "Down East" took the worst of the storm's beating.

With high tropical storm winds still in the area as night fell, a damage assessment wasn't expected to begin until this morning. But initial reports were that high water had covered roads and in some areas crept into homes as the eye of Isabel crossed near the communities of Bettie, Otway, Harkers Island and Cedar Island. The area was whipped by winds in excess of 90 mph.

"Down East is a pretty bad situation. It received the brunt of the storm," Carteret County Manager Mary Ann Hinshaw said Thursday evening as the back side of the storm began to weaken and move out. "We have a lot of flooding in the eastern part of the county," Hinshaw said.

There were also reports of high water in communities such as Marshallberg, Davis as well as Sea Level and South River, where there were reports of water rising into fire and rescue departments.

National Weather Service meteorologist John Cole said the Newport office received a report that a home between Stacy and Williston was flooded with 2 feet of water.

In the South River-Merrimon area, high winds prevented rescue personnel from answering a call from a couple trapped in their home, which was surrounded by water.

The water level in Cedar Island was 6 feet above normal before the worst of the storm hit and the far eastern end of the county saw a storm surge of 8 to 10 feet, Cole said.

West of Cape Lookout there was not much storm surge but all of Carteret County felt significant winds.

Hurricane Isabel swept through the county with sustained winds of 74 mph and gusting winds that reached 100 mph or more in some locations, Cole said.

Reports to the National Weather Service office indicated 98 mph gusts at Harkers Island at 10:30 a.m. Thursday and 86 mph at 10:40 a.m. at the Cedar Island ferry terminal.

The winds knocked down trees and power lines, causing scattered power outages. There was also debris scattered around yards and roads and siding and shingles blown off homes and businesses.

In Beaufort, awnings were damaged at a grocery store and gas station and in Atlantic Beach, the roof of one house was blown onto a nearby mobile home. Many residents were without power into Thursday night.

Flooding didn't hit other Carteret areas as hard as Down East, but there was high water along roadways and ditches. Front Street was underwater in Beaufort and some roads in beach communities were covered.

Carteret County Commissioner Bettie Bell took a quick look around her district when winds subsided and found flooded areas in the Adam's Creek area as well as spots along Mill Creek Road and the Old Winberry Road area toward Highway 101.

Along with the flooding, she found a lot of debris and trees overturned.

As bad as it was, she said the county is fortunate Hurricane Isabel didn't leave heavier damage.

"We're lucky we didn't get worse than we did," Bell said.

As Hurricane Isabel approached, residents who evacuated their homes headed for shelters.

By 9 a.m. Thursday, as tropical-storm force winds entered the county, there were nearly 450 residents in two Red Cross-run shelters at Newport Middle School and West Carteret High School.

Volunteers with the Sea Level Fire and Rescue Department opened a shelter in Atlantic to give Down East residents a haven from the storm. Another 40 residents, most fearing flooding, stayed there.

"We know a lot of people in the community. There is going to be extensive flooding, and they need a place to stay," said Casey Arthur, assistant shelter coordinator.

Residents are advised to be cautious around downed power lines and standing water as they venture outside today to check on storm damage. Many towns in the county set curfews to keep residents off the streets during the storm and immediately after.

[NautiNurse]

Hard to tell whether that was straight line or tornadic winds. The screen shot didn't capture 1/3 of the panoramic scene at that airport.

[Gabz]

Glad to hear you're faring well.

Wimpycat - hopefully you'll be able to get that call through soon.

[Gabz]

It looks like I'm going to be spending much of my days thanking FReepers all over for their thoughts and prayers.

When we went to bed last night, it was still raining and the wind was still pretty strong. We could hear a section of the metal roof on the barn being buffetted - but there was nothing we could do about it then

This morning when he went to assess the damage, he came back and informed me that God had put a skylight in our barn.

[PleaseNoMore]

I told you yesterday that the shingles you saw flying or what have you were mine, lol. I was wrong, thankfully as it wasn't the roof itself causing our water damage. We had a band settle over us here in the Sandhills around 5 or 6 pm that Greg Fischel on WRAL called "out of the ordinary". Rain here of about 4 inches and some pretty impressive gusts but no major flooding or power outages. A few smaller hard wood trees down and several pine limbs down here and there. Water was pouring in in our living room from the ceiling and hubby and FIL had to go up during the worst here to cover it with plastic. Thankfully it wasn't the ( new ) roof. It was the vent thingy that comes out of the roof that goes to our wood heater.

I hope that all on the EC are faring well today and that they are all safe. Property can be replaced but people cannot and I am so thankful to God that the death toll was very low. Still, it is sad that anyone lost their lives. I pray for their families.

[Delmarksman]

Checking in. We had a bit of wind and some rain here.

Nothing bad. For sure we've had worse Noreasters.

Some tents got blown over and some Campers left from Dover Downs, but the races should go ahead as scheduled.

[jriemer]

Good to know you're safe-n-sound with Mrs CD and your little one...

[dighton]

Glad you're OK.

About the most exciting thing that happened was watching two power lines arcing as the wind blew them too close together.

Neat, an industrial-strength bug zapper.

;-)

[Gabz]

Glad to hear things are ok in my old stomping grounds!!!

[Constitution Day]

Great pic! Is that Vincent Price?

At one point, we watched some idiot who just HAD to be on the highway in the 70 mph+ winds.
The truck drove under the power line just as they erupted in a *very* loud, *very* bright sheet of blue/white high voltage.

I bet whoever it was had to go home & change after that.

[kristinn]

Glad you survived okay. I've been lurking on these threads and was concerned about you.

Northern Virginia is under a 'boil water alert' and many homes there are without power, including Angelwood.

tgslTakoma in Maryland, just outside of D.C. had a tree hit her home and car and is also without power.

As for me in downtown D.C., I've got power, water and phone. I spent yesterday moving things away from the large windows in my 8th floor apartment just in case the wind blew them out.

[Gabz]

According to one of the guys on WFTD thread, xsmommy has been without power since yesterday and is de-camping to her brother or BIL's house. so they are fine.

[PleaseNoMore]

Weren't there a few tornadoes in Va? I couldn't keep up with all that was going on via TV as the satellite wouldn't get a signal. The weather band on my radio ain't worth a flip either. I found that out yesterday. I was reading on the other storm forum that it appears that Cape Verde isn't done yet. But, take that statement considering I don't know squat about meteorology. I hope that Isabel is the last one for another 4 or 5 years. For as bad as it actually was for the EC, it could have been so much worse. "We", collectively, on the EC were really spared. After having gone through Hugo, Fran, Flloyd and all in between, I am so glad to see that this one was nothing like those storms with regards to damage and loss of life and property.

Oh, you guys did a great job with all of your info and dissecting the info for us who are meteorogically retarded. Thanks!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Poor Jonathan Serrie. He will forever be known as "the guy who lost his pants on live television."

[dighton]

Yes. Vincent and Coral Price, in a Bug Zapper commercial.

[PleaseNoMore]

Good to see that you are ok. I gathered that you had a little one and storms are always scarier to me with kids. They are bad enough when you are single or just have a spuse but when you have little ones it brings the seriousness of them to your front door in a whole new way. It does for me anyway.

[Slip18]

Vincent Price and his wife Mary (I believe that's her name) are fantastic chefs. They've been around the world collecting recipes. My sister has their cookbook. I can't find it. It is fabulous.

[Gabz]

You are so correct.