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Hurricane ISABEL (Text)

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HURRICANE ISABEL INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  49A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 AM EDT THU SEP 18 2003
 
...ISABEL CONTINUES TOWARD THE OUTER BANKS...WINDS DECREASE
SLIGHTLY...
 
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 NORTH OF CHINCOTEAGUE TO
MORICHES INLET NEW YORK...INCLUDING DELAWARE BAY.  A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT SOUTH OF CAPE FEAR TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER
SOUTH CAROLINA...FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT
NORTHWARD...AND FOR THE TIDAL POTOMAC.
 
AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 33.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE  75.2 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.  THIS IS ALSO
ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.
 
ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ISABEL IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL
IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.  HOWEVER...
CONDITIONS ARE DETERIORATING OVER A LARGE AREA WELL BEFORE THE
CENTER REACHES THE COAST. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE BEGINING TO
SPREAD ONTO THE COAST IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. WIND GUSTS TO
HURRICANE-FORCE COULD ALSO EXTEND INLAND UP TO 150 MILES ALONG THE
PATH OF ISABEL.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS
IS JUST ABOVE THE CATEGORY TWO WIND SPEED THRESHOLD OF THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ONLY SMALL CHANGES IN STRENGTH ARE
LIKELY PRIOR TO LANDFALL...AND WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER
LANDFALL.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 345
MILES.  

A GUST OF 63 MPH WAS RECENTLY OBSERVED AT ATLANTIC BEACH NORTH
CAROLINA.  A GUST OF 60 MPH WAS OBSERVED AT ELIZABETH CITY NORTH
CAROLINA.
 
THE MOST RECENT MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE MEASURED BY A HURRICANE
HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS  957 MB...28.26 INCHES.  
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 8 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 TODAY
 
REPEATING THE 8 AM EDT POSITION...33.7 N... 75.2 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...100 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 957 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE AND STATEMENTS FROM
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 AM EDT.
 
FORECASTER FRANKLIN
 
 
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