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Tuesday, September 16, 2003


Isabel weaker, but headed for landfall
Hurricane Isabel, formerly a Category 5 (the strongest category) storm, is considerably weaker, thankfully, but did not turn northward enough to miss making landfall on the eastern USA.



Click photo for high-resolution view.



This is a regularly-updated track projection graphic; click for high-res view.

According to NOAA,

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 120 mph with higher gusts. Some slight additional weakening is possible on Tuesday. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles.
Here is a page of striking satellite photos.

Some TV reporters have been filing their video stories from the island town of Wrightsville Beach, NC, east of Wilmington. W. beach is built atop a large sand dune, basically, that extends north-south for a couple of miles. The Intracoastal Waterway passes between the island and the mainland.

I know the town very well, as my family and I have vacationed there almost every year since 1987. My wife's brother lives there, on the waterway side of the island. Hurricanes are unfortunately a regular occurrence there. A few years ago we had to cut our time there short because of Hurricane Bertha. The day before we had to leave my two sons were interviewed on the beach by Canadian TV - you know, "What do you think about the hurricane, lads?"

"We hope it turns away and nobody gets hurt."

"There you have it, panic on the beach in North Carolina!"

In truth, Wrightsville Beach has been hurt very badly in the past by the storms. So prayers for everyone in Isabel's path . . . .

by Donald Sensing, 9/16/2003 06:30:03 AM. Permalink |  





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