| HOME | ARCHIVES | FORECASTS | IMAGERY | ABOUT NHC | RECONNAISSANCE |

---

Hurricane ISABEL (Text)

ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
BULLETIN
HURRICANE ISABEL ADVISORY NUMBER  51
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT THU SEP 18 2003
 
...ISABEL POUNDING EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEASTERN
VIRGINIA...

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING IS REPLACED BY A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NORTH CAROLINA.
 
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SURF CITY 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 FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT
NORTHWARD...AND FOR THE TIDAL POTOMAC.
 
AT 5 PM EDT...ALL WARNINGS SOUTH OF CAPE FEAR HAVE BEEN
DISCONTINUED.
 
AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED
INLAND NEAR LATITUDE 36.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 77.1 WEST OR ABOUT 40
MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF ROANOKE RAPIDS NORTH CAROLINA.
 
ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 24 MPH. A TURN TO THE
NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ISABEL IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS
EASTERN VIRGINIA TOWARD WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA OVER THE NEXT 24
HOURS.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 90 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
ALTHOUGH ISABEL WILL CONTINUE WEAKEN AS IT MOVES OVER
LAND...UNUSUALLY STRONG WINDS...WITH GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE...MAY
BE EXPERIENCED WELL INLAND TO 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 100 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 345 MILES.
 
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS  960 MB...28.35 INCHES.
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...MAY STILL
OCCUR ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. 
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 SURGE FLOODING ALONG THE OUTER BANKS WILL GRADUALLY
SUBSIDE TONIGHT.
 
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 THROUGH
TONIGHT.
 
REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...36.2 N... 77.1 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 24 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 90 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 960 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE...AND STATEMENTS FROM
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.

INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 7 PM EDT AND 9 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE
ADVISORY AT 11 PM EDT.


FORECASTER FRANKLIN
 
 
NNNN