Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Virginia
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Satellite picture shows Hurricane Isabel entering Virginia as Category 1 storm.
Hurricane Isabel was a Category 2 hurricane at landfall. Maximum strength was Category 5 before landfall. |
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| Winds |
1-minute sustained: 75 mph (120 km/h) Gusts: 105 mph (170 km/h) |
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| Fatalities | 10 direct, 26 indirect |
| Damage | $1.85 billion (2003 USD) |
| Areas affected | Virginia |
| Part of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season | |
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The effects of Hurricane Isabel in Virginia proved to be the costliest disaster in the history of Virginia.Hurricane Isabel formed from a tropical wave on September 6, 2003 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved northwestward, and within an environment of light wind shear and warm waters it steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 265 km/h (165 mph) on September 11. After fluctuating in intensity for four days, Isabel gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land as it passed through central Virginia, and Isabel became extratropical over western Pennsylvania on September 19.
Strong winds from the hurricane affected 99 counties and cities in the state, which downed thousands of trees and left about 1.8 million without power. The storm surge impacted much of the southeastern portion of the state, peaking at around 9 feet (2.7 m) in Richmond along the James River; the surge caused significant damage to homes along riverways. The nationwide maximum rainfall total from the hurricane was 20.2 inches (513 mm) in Sherando, Virginia. In the state's mountainous region, heavy rainfall caused severe and damaging flash flooding. The hurricane caused about $1.85 billion (2003 USD, $2.17 billion 2008 USD) in damage and 36 deaths in the state—10 directly from the storm's effects and 26 indirectly related.
By four days before Isabel made landfall, most weather models predicted Isabel to make landfall between North Carolina and New Jersey. Initially, forecasters predicted it to move along the coastline of the Chesapeake Bay, though as the hurricane neared land the predicted track was much closer to where it ultimately was. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Chincoteague near its border with Maryland about 50 hours before Isabel struck land, including the southern portion of the Chesapeake Bay. 18 hours before the hurricane made landfall, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the watch to a hurricane warning for the entire coastline. Additionally, inland hurricane and tropical storm warnings were issued for south-central Virginia. The Wakefield National Weather Service office issued three tornado warnings for four counties, though none became tornadoes. The office also issued two county-wide flood warnings and 43 flood warnings and flood statements for various river basins.
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Wikipedia