Isabel was the deadliest, costliest, and most intense hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. 16 deaths in seven U.S. states were directly related to the hurricane, with 35 deaths in six states and one Canadian province indirectly related. Roughly six million people were left without electric service in the eastern United States from the strong winds of Isabel. Rainfall from the storm extended from South Carolina to Maine, and westward to Michigan.
About Hurricane Isabel in brief
Isabel was the deadliest, costliest, and most intense hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season. Isabel formed near the Cape Verde Islands from a tropical wave on September 6, in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 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 on September 18. Isabel quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania on the next day. In North Carolina, the storm surge from Isabel washed out a portion of Hatteras Island to form what was unofficially known as Isabel Inlet. 16 deaths in seven U.S. states were directly related to the hurricane, with 35 deaths in six states and one Canadian province indirectly related. Roughly six million people were left without electric service in the eastern United States from the strong winds of Isabel. Rainfall from the storm extended from South Carolina to Maine, and westward to Michigan. Throughout the path of Isabel, damage totalled about USD 5.5 billion. About 64% of the damage and 69 per cent of the deaths occurred in North Carolina and Virginia. The worst of the effects of Isabel occurred in Virginia, especially in the Hampton Roads area and along the shores of rivers as far west and north as Richmond and Baltimore. Isabel was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Mitch, and the deadliest and costliest storm of the 2003 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
It is estimated the system developed into Tropical Depression Thirteen early on September 5. Hours later, it intensified into Tropical Storm Isabel, though operationally the National Hurricane Center did not begin issuing advisories until 13 hours after it first developed. The system gradually strengthened as it moved to the west-northwest, and Isabel strengthened to a hurricane on September 7 subsequent to the development of a large, yet ragged eye located near the deepest convection. Isabel intensified on September 8 to reach major hurricane status while located 1,300 miles east-northeast of Barbuda. On September 9, Isabel reached an initial peak intensity of 135 mph for around 24 hours, a minimal Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Early on September 10, the eyewall became less defined, the convection near the eye became eroded, and northeasterly outflow became slightly restricted. Isabel weakened slightly to a Category 3 hurricane. The hurricane turned more to the east due to the influence of the Bermuda-Azores High High. Later on September10, Isabel continued to intensify, and its peak intensity was 165 mph. Isabel rest rested on September 13, and it weakened slightly, though it retained the hurricane’s large 40-mile wide eye. After completing the replacement cycle, Isabel weakened to a strong Category 5 hurricane.
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This page is based on the article Hurricane Isabel published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 17, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
