| Event
Description
Isabel was identified as a Tropical Storm
on Saturday, September 6, 2003 at 9 PM/1300 UTC at 14N 34W, west of the
Cape Verde Islands. Moving west-northwest, Isabel developed into a
Category 1 Hurricane on Sunday, and strengthened to rare Category 5
Hurricane status (sustained 1-minute wind greater than 155 mph) on
Thursday, September 11, 2003. Although Isabel briefly weakened to
Category 4 strength it was still a Category 5 storm on Sunday, September
14, 2003, centered 325 miles north of Puerto Rico. Over the next couple
of days, Isabel made a slow northwest turn, weakening to Category 3
strength Monday afternoon and Category 2 strength on Tuesday. Isabel
continued on a north-northwest course, making landfall on the North
Carolina Outer Banks between Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras on Thursday
afternoon, September 18, 2003.
Watches/Warnings
At 11 AM on Tuesday, September 16, 2003,
when the center of Isabel was 600 miles away, a Hurricane Watch was
raised for the coast of North Carolina and a Tropical Storm Watch was
raised for the South Carolina coast south to the mouth of the South
Santee River. At 11 PM, a Hurricane Warning was raised from Cape Fear NC
northward, a Tropical Storm Warning was raised from Cape Fear to Little
River Inlet SC, with a Tropical Storm Watch remaining from Little River
Inlet SC to South Santee River SC...elevated to a Tropical Storm Warning
on Wednesday at 11 AM. Following eye landfall, the Hurricane Warning
from Surf City NC to Cape Fear NC was lowered to a Tropical Storm
Warning, and all warnings south were dropped. At 11 PM, all warnings
were dropped along the North Carolina coast. |
 |
weather.gov 
