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Hurricane ISABEL


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BULLETIN
HURRICANE ISABEL ADVISORY NUMBER  50
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM EDT THU SEP 18 2003
 
...EYEWALL OF ISABEL COMING ASHORE ON THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER
BANKS...

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 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 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 34.4 NORTH... LONGITUDE 75.7 WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES
SOUTH OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.  THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT
50 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA.  THE
EYEWALL OF ISABEL...WHERE THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE LOCATED...IS
CURRENTLY COMING ASHORE ALONG THE SOUTHERN OUTER BANKS.

ISABEL HAS A VERY LARGE EYE...AND WINDS WITHIN THE EYE WILL
DIMINISH...BEFORE INCREASING RAPIDLY AS THE BACK EDGE OF THE EYE
PASSES BY.  PEOPLE ARE STRONGLY CAUTIONED NOT TO VENTURE OUT DURING
THE EYE PASSAGE UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
 
ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST
OVERNIGHT.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ISABEL IS
EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL BETWEEN CAPE HATTERAS AND CAPE LOOKOUT
NORTH CAROLINA WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...AND MOVE INLAND
OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA OVER THE NEXT
24 HOURS. 
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED PRIOR TO LANDFALL. ALTHOUGH ISABEL
WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INLAND...UNUSUALLY STRONG WINDS...WITH
GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE...MAY BE EXPERIENCED FAR INLAND OVER THE
ELEVATED TERRAIN OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND...AS WELL AS ON
HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 345
MILES.
 
CAPE HATTERAS JUST REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 79 MPH...AND A GUST TO 85
MPH WAS REPORTED AT OCRACOKE NORTH CAROLINA.

THE MOST RECENT MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A HURRICANE
HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 956 MB...28.23 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.  HAM RADIO OPERATORS HAVE REPORTED A STORM SURGE OF CLOSE TO
4 FEET ON THE NEUSE RIVER AT NEW BERN NORTH CAROLINA.

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...EASTERN VIRGINIA...AND SOUTHEASTERN MARYLAND TODAY.
 
REPEATING THE 11 AM EDT POSITION...34.4 N... 75.7 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...100 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 956 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 1 PM EDT AND 3 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE
ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT.
 
FORECASTER FRANKLIN/STEWART
 
 
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