Sept 18-20
2003 Sept 18-20
2003
IMPORTANT....INSURANCE INQUIRIES. Certified data CAN ONLY be obtained through the National Climatic Data Center
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SATELLITE VIEW
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STORM TRACK
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STORM SURGE
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RADAR
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HIGH WINDS
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RAINFALL TOTALS
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ACUS71 KAKQ 091311 AAD
PSHAKQ
VAZ0048-049-060>100-MDZ021>025-NCZ012>017-030>032-102-100600-
PRELIMINARY POST STORM REPORT...HURRICANE ISABEL...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
910 AM EDT THU OCT 9 2003
...GENERAL INFORMATION...
ISABEL BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON SEPTEMBER 6...EAST OF THE LEEWARD
ISLANDS...STRENGTHENING TO A HURRICANE ON SEPTEMBER 7. ISABEL
INCREASED TO A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE ON SEPTEMBER 11...NORTHEAST OF
THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...PEAKING IN STRENGTH ON SEPTEMBER 12...WITH
160 MPH WINDS. ISABEL WEAKENED TO A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE ON
SEPTEMBER 18...WHEN LANDFALL OCCURRED NEAR OCRACOKE INLET IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER NEW ENGLAND AND SOUTHEAST CANADA...
PREVENTED ISABEL FROM TAKING THE TYPICAL NORTH TO NORTHEAST TRACK
THAT PARALLELS THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. INSTEAD THE
HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM DEFLECTED ISABEL TO THE NORTHWEST...THROUGH
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA. BY MIDDAY SEPTEMBER
19...ISABEL HAD TRACKED INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.
THE WIND FIELD OF ISABEL EXPANDED WELL NORTHWARD AS IT TRACKED
THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA...DUE TO THE PRESSURE GRADIENT
BETWEEN ISABEL AND THE STRONG HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH. SUSTAINED
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...WITH FREQUENT WIND GUSTS APPROACHING
AND EXCEEDING HURRICANE FORCE...WERE OBSERVED OVER AN UNUSUALLY
EXTENSIVE AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA...VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND.
THE WINDS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE
RELATED STORM SURGE ON THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA...HAMPTON
ROADS...AND THE MAIN STEM RIVERS FEEDING INTO THE CHESAPEAKE
BAY...SINCE THE 1933 CHESAPEAKE-POTOMAC HURRICANE. IN SOME
CASES...THE STORM SURGE ON THE MAIN STEM RIVERS EXCEEDED THE 1933
STORM SURGE.
HEAVY RAIN CAUSED FLOODING OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VIRGINIA...
CAUSING HIGH WATER ON MANY ROADS UNTIL LATE ON FRIDAY...SEPTEMBER 19.
ISABEL WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THE GREATEST WIND...AND STORM SURGE IN
THE REGION...SINCE HAZEL IN 1954...AND THE 1933 CHESAPEAKE-POTOMAC
HURRICANE. ISABEL WILL ALSO BE REMEMBERED FOR THE MOST EXTENSIVE
POWER OUTAGES EVER IN VIRGINIA...AND PERMANENT CHANGE TO THE
LANDSCAPE FROM ALL THE FALLEN TREES...AND STORM SURGE.
A. HIGHEST WINDS...ALL WINDS IN MPH AND TIMES IN UTC
ANEMOMETER AT CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL AND CHESAPEAKE LIGHT
ARE AT ROUGHLY 90 FEET ABOVE THE WATER.
LOCATION SUSTAINED WIND MAX GUST MAX GUST TIME
DUCK NC (DUCN7) 73 92 1834 UTC
ELIZABETH CITY NC** 59 74 1543 UTC (KECG)
ROANOKE RAPIDS NC** 37 63 2147 UTC (KRZZ)
BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL (CBBT) 61 74 2048 UTC
CHESAPEAKE LIGHT (CHLV2) 72 93 2137 UTC
KIPTOPEKE VA 45 68 2218 UTC
LANGLEY AFB VA 53 76 1808 UTC (KLFI)
LEWISETTA VA 53 68 2300 UTC
NEWPORT NEWS INTL ARPT** 44 65 1756 UTC (KPHF)
NORFOLK INTL AIRPORT VA**47 74 2049 UTC (KORF)
NORFOLK NAVAL STATION 58 83 2110 UTC (KNGU)
OCEANA NAVAL STATION 55 69 2056 UTC (KNTU)
RICHMOND INTL ARPT 38 73 0013 UTC (KRIC)
SEWELLS POINT VA 57 73 1954 UTC
WALLOPS ISLAND VA 50 62 1747 UTC (KWAL)
GLOUCESTER PT VA (VIMS) 69 91 2200-2300 UTC
CAMBRIDGE MD 45 57 2055 UTC
OCEAN CITY MD 41 53 2252 UTC (KOXB)
SALISBURY MD 37 51 2009 UTC (KSBY)
** - OBSERVATIONS AT THESE LOCATIONS ARE BASED UPON ALL AVAILABLE
DATA...AS THESE LOCATIONS LOST POWER AND WERE POTENTIALLY UNAVAILABLE
WHEN THE HIGHEST WIND GUSTS OCCURRED.
OTHER WIND GUSTS (ONLY GUSTS AVAILABLE)
ANEMOMETERS AT MOST OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE NOT AT THE STANDARD 33
FOOT LEVEL. ANEMOMETERS AT HAMPTON AND GWYNNS ISLAND ARE AT
THE TOP OF BUILDINGS...POSSIBLY ABOVE THE STANDARD 33 FOOT LEVEL.
LOCATION GUST SPEED TIME OF GUST
ELIZABETH CITY NC 97 MPH 1900-2000 UTC
(FROM CLEMSON UNIVERSITY OBSERVATION SITE IN ELIZ. CITY)
HAMPTON VA (SPOTTER) 92 MPH 2130 UTC
(SUSTAINED 67 MPH)
RICHMOND VA (WWBT-TV) 63 MPH UNKNOWN
PORTSMOUTH VA (SPOTTER) 55 MPH 1944 UTC
CHASE CITY VA (SPOTTER) 53 MPH 2010 UTC
RICHMOND COUNTY VA (SPOTTER) 65 MPH (ESTD) UNKNOWN
(SUSTAINED 48 MPH)
CHINCOTEAGUE VA 47 MPH 2315 UTC
SMITH ISLAND VA 83 MPH UNKNOWN
CHINCOTEAGUE VA (USCG STATION) 71 MPH
OAK HALL VA (ACCOMACK CO.) 57 MPH
ONLEY VA (ACCOMACK CO.) 62 MPH
PARKSLEY VA (ACCOMACK CO.) 65 MPH
FIVE FORKS VA (JAMES CITY CO.) 80 MPH
REEDVILLE VA (MIDDLESEX CO.) 100 MPH
GWYNNS ISLAND VA (MATHEWS CO.)107 MPH 0042 9/19
HURLOCK MD (DORCHESTER CO.) 62 MPH
OCEAN PINES MD (WORCESTER CO.) 60 MPH
POCOMOKE MD (WORCESTER CO.) 50 MPH
B. PRESSURE DATA...ALL TIMES IN UTC (SUBTRACT 4 HOURS FOR EDT)
NORFOLK VA (ORF) 990 MB/2151 9/18
29.24 INCHES
OCEANA NAVAL STATION (NTU) 991 MB/2056 9/18
29.26 INCHES
NEWPORT NEWS VA (PHF) 990 MB/2237 9/18
29.24 INCHES
HAMPTON VA (LFI) 992 MB/2348 9/18
29.29 INCHES
MELFA VA (MFV) 1000 MB/2102 9/18
29.53 INCHES
WALLOPS ISLAND VA (WAL) 1003 MB/0012 9/19
29.62 INCHES
OCEAN CITY MD (OXB) 1006 MB/2257 9/18
29.71 INCHES
SALISBURY MD (SBY) 1005 MB/0331 9/19
29.68 INCHES
DUCK NC (DUCN7) 984 MB/1900 9/18
29.06 INCHES
DUCK NC (ARMY COE FIELD RESEARCH FACILITY) 984 MB/1734 9/18
29.06 INCHES
ARROWHEAD BEACH NC (NEAR EDENTON)*** 957 MB/2030 9/18
28.26 INCHES
CHESAPEAKE LIGHT (CHLV2) 991 MB/2100 9/18
29.26 INCHES
FALSE CAPE (44014) 996 MB/1900 9/18
29.41 INCHES
DELAWARE BAY BUOY (44009) 1007 MB/0000 9/19
29.74 INCHES
PORTSMOUTH VA 987 MB/2225 9/18
29.15 INCHES
CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL VA 992 MB/2154 9/18
29.29 INCHES
SEWELLS POINT 991 MB/2200 9/18
29.26 INCHES
LEWISETTA VA 997 MB/0012 9/19
29.44 INCHES
RAPPAHANNOCK LIGHT HOUSE VA 995 MB/0000 9/19
29.38 INCHES
WACHAPREAGUE VA 1002 MB/2300 9/18
29.59 INCHES
CAMBRIDGE MD 1003 MB/0400 9/19
29.62 INCHES
***DENOTES LOWEST PRESSURE OBSERVATION REPORTED TO NWS WAKEFIELD.
THIS OBSERVATION WAS TAKEN WITH UNOFFICIAL EQUIPMENT AND MAY BE
SLIGHTLY LOW.
C. RAINFALL...STORM TOTALS IN INCHES
...RAINFALL...
LOCATION (COUNTY OR SITE ID) AMOUNT (INCHES)
ELIZABETH CITY NC (KECG) 2.72
AMELIA VA (AMELIA) 5.50
ASHLAND VA (HANOVER) 5.20
BLACKSTONE VA (NOTTOWAY) 7.00
BOWLING GREEN VA (CAROLINE) 4.22
BUMPASS VA (LOUISA) 5.45
CARSON VA (DINWIDDIE) 6.20
CARTERSVILLE VA (GOOCHLAND) 4.91
CHARLES CITY VA 4.90
CHESTER VA (CHESTERFIELD) 5.50
CHESTERFIELD VA (CHESTERFIELD) 5.80
CHINCOTEAGUE VA 1.50
CREWE VA (NOTTOWAY) 5.10
EASTVILLE VA (NORTHAMPTON) 1.52
EMPORIA VA (DOWNTOWN) 6.41
EMPORIA VA (WATER TREATMENT PLANT) 5.53
FARMVILLE VA (PRINCE EDWARD) 5.00
GLENN ALLEN VA (HENRICO) 5.50
GREEN BAY VA (PRINCE EDWARD) 4.76
HEATHSVILLE VA (NORTHUMBERLAND) 2.00
HOPEWELL VA 6.00
HOMEVILLE VA (SUSSEX) 7.10
JORDANS POINT VA (PRINCE GEORGE) 5.67
LANGLEY AFB VA 2.67
MECHANICSVILLE VA (HANOVER) 4.50
MONTPELIER VA 4.00
NEWLAND VA (RICHMOND COUNTY) 3.50
NEWPORT NEWS VA 3.70
NEWPORT NEWS INTL ARPT (KPHF) 3.16
NORFOLK INTL AIRPORT (KORF) 4.02 (NOTE CHANGE)
NORFOLK NAVAL STATION 4.21
ONLEY VA (ACCOMACK COUNTY) 1.25
PAINEVILLE VA (AMELIA COUNTY) 4.17
PARKSLEY VA (ACCOMACK COUNTY) 1.40
PETERSBURG VA 5.59
PORTSMOUTH VA (WEST CRADDOCK) 4.04
POWHATAN VA (POWHATAN) 5.00
PRINCE GEORGE VA (PRINCE GEORGE) 6.00
REEDVILLE VA 1.00
RICHMOND VA (WBBT-TV/MIDLOTHIAN) 6.88
RICHMOND VA (WTVR-TV) 4.01
RICHMOND INTL AIRPORT (KRIC) 4.32
RUTHER GLENN VA (CAROLINE) 4.22
SANDSTON VA (HENRICO) 5.08
SHORT PUMP VA (HENRICO) 3.78
SUFFOLK VA 4.79
TOANO VA (JAMES CITY) 10.60
URBANNA VA (MIDDLESEX) 7.00
WAKEFIELD VA (NWS OFFICE) 5.76
WALLOPS ISLAND VA (KWAL) 0.80
WATKINS LANDING VA (POWHATAN) 4.00
WESTMORELAND COUNTY VA 3-5 INCHES COUNTY WIDE
WILLIAMSBURG VA (DOWNTOWN) 4.50
WILLIAMSBURG VA (RT 199 AND RT 5) 4.78
WILLIAMSBURG VA (2 SW) 3.15
WEST POINT VA (KING WILLIAM) 3.86
CAMBRIDGE MD (DORCHESTER) 2.20
OCEAN CITY MD (KOXB) 1.97
OCEAN PINES MD (WORCESTER) 2.66
POCOMOKE MD (WICOMICO) 0.96
SALISBURY MD (WBOC-TV) 2.66
SALISBURY AIRPORT MD (KSBY) 2.08
STEELES NECK MD (VIENNA MD) 3.20
D. STORM SURGE/TIDES
STORM SURGE VARIED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE REGION. AT SEWELLS POINT
VA...THE MAXIMUM WATER LEVEL WAS 7.9 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER
(MLLW). THIS REPRESENTED A 5 FOOT STORM SURGE. 5 FOOT SURGE LEVELS
WERE ALSO SEEN AT CAMBRIDGE MD (6.2 MLLW)...LANCASTER COUNTY VA...
AND MATHEWS COUNTY VA...WITH NEARLY 5 FOOT SURGES REPORTED AT THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL (4.6 FOOT SURGE, 7.3 MLLW). LOCAL
RESIDENTS INDICATED THE SURGE IN MATHEWS COUNTY TO BE ABOUT 12
INCHES LOWER THAN THE 1933 HURRICANE. ELSEWHERE IN MARYLAND...STORM
SURGE VALUES NEAR 8 FEET WERE REPORTED IN THE HOOPERS ISLAND
AREA...WITH 4 TO 5 FOOT SURGE VALUES REPORTED ON THE WICOMICO AND
NANTICOKE RIVERS.
AT GLOUCESTER POINT...THE WATER LEVEL REACHED 8.32
FEET...REPRESENTING A 6.4 FOOT SURGE. MONEY POINT VIRGINIA RECORDED
A MAXIMUM WATER LEVEL AT 8.3 FEET MLLW. BEFORE DATA WAS
LOST...MAXIMUM WATER LEVELS AT SCOTLAND AND KINGSMILL WERE 6.5 MLLW
AND 6.8 FEET MLLW...RESPECTIVELY. OCEAN CITY MARYLAND WATER LEVELS
PEAKED AT AROUND 6.5 FEET MLLW...WHILE KIPTOPEKE VIRGINIA PEAKED AT
6.5 FEET MLLW. DUCK PEAKED AT 7.8 FEET MLLW BEFORE DATA WAS LOST.
EVEN HIGHER SURGE VALUES WERE NOTED UP THE RIVERS IN EASTERN
VIRGINIA...SUCH AS THE JAMES...POTOMAC...YORK AND RAPPAHANNOCK.
STORM SURGE VALUES AROUND 9 FEET WERE ESTIMATED AT WEST POINT
VIRGINIA. WATERS LEVELS AT WEST POINT WERE 18 TO 24 INCHES HIGHER
THAN THE 1933 HURRICANE. AT RICHMOND CITY LOCKS...A MORE THAN 8 FOOT
SURGE WAS NOTED (12.1 FOOT RIVER LEVEL VS. 3.5 FOOT EXPECTED LEVEL).
SMITHFIELD VIRGINIA ALSO RECORDED AN 8 FOOT STORM SURGE (9.65
MSL/10.75 MLLW). AN ESTIMATED 8 FOOT SURGE ALSO OCCURRED NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF THE JAMES AND APPOMATTOX RIVERS IN HOPEWELL. A WATER
MARK AT CRITTENDEN VIRGINIA...IN THE NORTHERN PART OF SUFFOLK...WAS
ESTIMATED TO BE 32 INCHES ABOVE THE 1933 BENCHMARK. LEWISETTA AND
WINDMILL POINT VIRGINIA RECORDED MAXIMUM WATER LEVELS AROUND 3.5 TO
3.8 FEET MLLW. COLONIAL BEACH LOST DATA JUST AS WATER LEVELS ROSE
TO 5.4 FEET MLLW. HOWEVER...A SUBSEQUENT STORM SURVEY INDICATED A
SURGE AROUND 6.5 FEET AT COLONIAL BEACH. ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK...SURGE
VALUES BETWEEN 5.5 AND 6.0 FEET OCCURRED AT TAPPAHANNOCK AND
DOWNSTREAM NEAR DUNNSVILLE.
ON THE ALBEMARLE SOUND...STORM SURGE VALUES AROUND 7 FEET OCCURRED AT
EDENTON...WITH A SURGE AROUND 5 FOOT OBSERVED ON THE PASQUOTANK RIVER
IN ELIZABETH CITY.
E. BEACH EROSION
SIGNIFICANT EROSION OCCURRED FROM OUTER BANKS CURRITUCK COUNTY
THROUGH NEWPORT NEWS AND HAMPTON. IN VIRGINIA BEACH...15TH STREET
FISHING PIER WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED...AND BUCKROE AND LYNNHAVEN
PIERS WERE DESTROYED. SIGNIFICANT EROSION WAS OBSERVED AS FAR NORTH
AS THE MIDDLE PENINSULA AND NORTHERN NECK. IN ADDITION...MANY
PRIVATELY OWNED PIERS...AS WELL AS SOME PUBLIC PIERS WERE DAMAGED OR
DESTROYED BY STORM SURGE AND/OR WAVE IMPACTS IN THIS REGION. WAVE
HEIGHTS PEAKED AT 21 TO 22 FEET AT CHESAPEAKE LIGHT AND THE DELAWARE
BAY BUOY...RESPECTIVELY. PEAK WAVES AT THE ARMY COE FIELD RESEARCH
FACILITY IN DUCK NORTH CAROLINA PEAKED AT 11 TO 12 FEET ON THE
BEACH...BUT 30 TO 35 FEET 2 MILES OFFSHORE.
F. FLOODING
INLAND FLOODING DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRED OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. HIGH WATER WAS REPORTED ON ROUTE 460 IN
PRINCE GEORGE AND RT 40 IN SUSSEX COUNTY. SOME AREAS IN COLONIAL
HEIGHTS AROUND SWIFT CREEK ALSO REPORTED HIGH WATER...SUCH AS AROUND
PINEHURST DRIVE. SOME AREAS IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY...SUCH AS BEACH
ROAD ALSO HAD HIGH WATER. MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING WAS OBSERVED
ON THE RIVANNA AND JAMES RIVERS. MODERATE FLOODING WAS OBSERVED ON
THE APPOMATTOX RIVER...AND MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING OCCURRED IN
THE MEHERRIN...NOTTOWAY AND BLACKWATER RIVERS. THE JAMES RIVER AT
WESTHAM PEAKED AT 17.1 FEET...WHILE THE CITY LOCKS PEAKED AT 15.15
FEET. THE RIVANNA RIVER AT PALMYRA CRESTED AT 25.92 FEET. THE
MEHERRIN RIVER AT EMPORIA PEAKED AT 25.09 FEET...WHILE LAWRENCEVILLE
CRESTED AT 28.67 FEET. THE APPOMATTOX RIVER AT MATOACA PEAKED AT
12.86 FEET. THE BLACKWATER RIVER AT FRANKLIN CRESTED AT 16.8 FEET.
THE NOTTOWAY RIVER AT STONY CREEK CRESTED AT 20.36 FEET.
G. TORNADOES
ONLY ONE TORNADO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED TO OCCUR DURING ISABEL...IN THE
OCEANVIEW SECTION OF NORFOLK AROUND 6 PM ON THE 18TH. THIS TORNADO
HAS BEEN VERIFIED ONLY BY VISUAL CONFIRMATION FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT...
SINCE THERE IS SUCH EXTENSIVE HURRICANE RELATED WIND DAMAGE.
H. STORM EFFECTS
EIGHT DEATHS CAN BE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO HURRICANE ISABEL IN THE
NWS WAKEFIELD VIRGINIA AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. SEVEN OF THESE DEATHS
(FIVE IN VIRGINIA AND ONE EACH IN MARYLAND AND NORTH CAROLINA) WERE
THE RESULT OF WIND...THE OTHER DUE TO FLOODING. THERE WERE MORE THAN
15 DEATHS INDIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE STORM.
OVER 2 MILLION CUSTOMERS OF DOMINION VIRGINIA POWER WERE WITHOUT
ELECTRICITY. LOCAL ELECTRICAL COOPERATIVES ALSO REPORTED THOUSANDS
OF CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT POWER. THE UNUSUALLY LARGE WIND FIELD
UPROOTED MANY THOUSANDS OF TREES...DOWNED MANY POWER LINES...DAMAGED
HUNDREDS OF HOUSES...AND SNAPPED THOUSANDS OF TELEPHONE POLES AND
CROSS ARMS. HUNDREDS OF ROADS...INCLUDING MAJOR HIGHWAYS...WERE
BLOCKED BY FALLEN TREES. VERY PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES INDICATE MORE
THAN 700 MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE IN VIRGINIA...WITH DAMAGE FIGURES
FOR MARYLAND AND NORTH CAROLINA ALSO RUNNING IN THE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. DAMAGE FROM STORM SURGE WAS NOTED AS FAR INLAND AS COLONIAL
BEACH...WEST POINT...TAPPAHANNOCK AND HOPEWELL...WHERE HOMES AND
MANY BOATS AT LOCAL MARINAS WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. THE NUMBER
OF EVACUATIONS IS UNKNOWN. HOWEVER...MANDATORY EVACUATIONS WERE
ORDERED FOR PARTS OF CURRITUCK COUNTY AND HAMPTON ROADS.
$$
NS/WRS/PFM
&&
UPDATED WIND GUSTS...RAINFALL...STORM EFFECTS...AND STORM SURGE/TIDES
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