Large Hurricane Isabel Closing in on the Coast

[goobergunch]

000
WTNT33 KNHC 172026
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
HURRICANE ISABEL ADVISORY NUMBER  47
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT WED SEP 17 2003
 
...LARGE HURRICANE ISABEL CLOSING IN ON THE COAST...

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 SOUTH OF CAPE FEAR TO
SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH CAROLINA...AND NORTH OF CHINCOTEAGUE TO
SANDY HOOK NEW JERSEY...INCLUDING DELAWARE BAY. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH
POINT NORTHWARD...AND FOR THE TIDAL POTOMAC.
 
AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.1 NORTH... LONGITUDE 73.3 WEST OR ABOUT 315 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.
 
ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. A TURN TO
THE NORTHWEST WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED PRIOR
TO LANDFALL.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ISABEL IS
EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE DAY
THURSDAY.  HOWEVER...THE PRECISE TIMING AND LOCATION OF LANDFALL IS
UNCERTAIN...AND CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE OVER A LARGE AREA WELL
BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO REACH THE COASTLINE TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. 
ISABEL IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE
SCALE.  A SLIGHT INCREASE IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE PRIOR TO
LANDFALL.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 315 MILES.
 
THE MOST RECENT MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE MEASURED BY AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 955 MB...28.20 INCHES.
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 7 TO 11 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 THE THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES OVER EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.
 
REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...31.1 N... 73.3 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...105 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 955 MB.
 
FOR STORM-RELATED INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE...AND STATEMENTS FROM
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 8 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM
EDT.
 
FORECASTER FRANKLIN

Public Domain from the National Weather Service.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT3+shtml/171735.shtml?

[davidinalameda]

1. keep this kicked until tomorrow

my thoughts are going out to all our coastal DUers. Good luck!

[sweettater]

5. THANKS!

I live in northeasten NC about 60 miles from the Outer Banks. Sounds bad. It is very windy but no rain yet. The anticipation is what grates on the ol' nerves. Not knowing exactly how bad. Know what I mean? Bye.............

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. This is it

she's picked up speed- moving at 14MPH (was at 8 before this). This means the storm's begninning to unleash more of its energy as it hits land. (oh and can you edit those margins?)

[goobergunch]

3. fixed (n/t)

[underpants]

4. WHAT? When did this happen? Why haven't I heard about it?

Best of luck to everyone and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

I'm going home to get all the lawn chairs inside.

[Selwynn]

6. Good luck you guys -- stay safe

(nt)

[goobergunch]

7. This is the latest advisory from the NHC...

It's kind of like a press release IMHO.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. Lawn Chairs are everywhere, they're everywhere

and my mind describes them to me. to me.

[Ripley]

9. My parents live north of Wilmington, in Hampstead.

A block from their home you can see the ocean and Topsail Island that got destroyed during Floyd. My parents lost 90 pine trees in their yard during that one. Thankfully tonight they are going inland about an hour or so to stay with relatives. I just hope the tornado spin-offs don't hit them there either.

I have dozens of relatives in east Carolina. They've done this before, but it's still extremely dangerous. I hate to hear that people are taking it lightly because "it's only a 2"...LOOK AT THE SIZE OF IT!

Guess Pat Robertson's prayers weren't answered, again.

Batten down the hatches folks.

[Cha]

10. Good Luck! Keep those hatches battened down!

Hope the houses and buildings were built with "hurricane clips"!

Back up generators
windows with plywood
objets on the floor

Plenty water and food
flash lights and batteries
short wave
portable radio

:-)

[SpiralHawk]

11. Deciding whether to fly or not

I'm booked to fly into BWI on Thursday eve, arriving about 4:30 PM -- and then heading on down to DC,

Think I will wait a couple of more hours to see what's up, then possibly change flight to Friday.

I do believe I can be of some service there, even if arriving in the aftermath.

Meegwich, SH

[Lizz612]

13. Change it, stay safe. nt

[Lizz612]

12. Tape the windows!

My room mate's mother just came and got her, and left some duck tape for me to tape the window with. Now if would only get here and get it over with, it fvcking gorgous outside right now, but the waves on the bay are getting big. And the wind is picking up a little. (St. Mary's, MD)

[TahitiNut]

14. Quick - get Dubya to go parasailing!

:silly: