ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM 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 NNNN
Alternate Formats
About Alternates -
E-Mail Advisories -
RSS Feeds
Cyclone Forecasts
Latest Advisory -
Past Advisories -
About Advisories
Marine Forecasts
Latest Products -
About Marine Products
Tools & Data
Satellite Imagery -
US Weather Radar -
Aircraft Recon -
Local Data Archive -
Forecast Verification -
Deadliest/Costliest/Most Intense
Learn About Hurricanes
Storm Names
Wind Scale -
Prepare -
Climatology -
NHC Glossary -
NHC Acronyms -
Frequently Asked Questions -
AOML Hurricane-Research Division
About Us
About NHC -
Mission/Vision -
Other NCEP Centers -
NHC Staff -
Visitor Information -
NHC Library
NOAA/
National Weather Service
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
National Hurricane Center
11691 SW 17th Street
Miami, Florida, 33165-2149 USA
nhcwebmaster@noaa.gov
Disclaimer
Privacy Policy
Credits
About Us
Glossary
Career Opportunities
Page last modified: Monday, 07-Feb-2005 16:50:06 UTC