Tropical storm | |
---|---|
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 40 mph (65 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 997 mbar (hPa);29.44 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 2 direct |
Damage | $90.1 million (2003 USD) |
Areas affected | New York,New England |
Part of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Part of a series on Hurricane Isabel | |
Effects
Other wikis |
The effects of Hurricane Isabel in New York and New England were relatively minor and primarily limited to wind damage. 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 165 mph (266 km/h) 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 105 mph (169 km/h) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day.
Damage in New York totaled $90 million (2003 USD,$105 million 2008 USD), [1] with Vermont reporting about $100,000 in damage (2003 USD,$117,000 in 2008 USD). Falling trees from moderate winds downed power lines across the region,causing sporadic power outages. Two people died as a result of the hurricane,both due to the rough surf from Isabel.
Hours before Isabel made landfall on North Carolina,the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for a portion of the southern Long Island coastline from the New Jersey/New York border to Moriches. [1] About a day before the hurricane moved ashore,forecasters estimated the hurricane possessed a 10% chance of passing within 75 miles (121 km) of New York City. Other portions of southern New England were estimated to have similar probabilities,with the same forecast predicting a 3% chance for it passing within 75 miles (121 km) of Eastport,Maine. [2] By about two days before Isabel struck land until several hours after it moved ashore,forecasters predicted the storm to pass over western New York as a transitioning tropical cyclone before passing into Canada as an extratropical cyclone. [3]
New York Governor George Pataki urged residents to purchase emergency supplies and to fill cars with gasoline. The State Emergency Management Office began preparing for the hurricane about a week before it moved ashore. The office also issued a Level 1 emergency activation,with a planning unit readying contingency plans and in coordinating the efforts of other state offices. The state's National Guard began preliminary preparations for possible support efforts by reviewing the list of personnel able to be mobilized in the event of an emergency. Army and Air National Guard officials identified needed equipment in the event of an emergency,such as helicopters,generators,high-axle vehicles,and communications equipment. State police officers established contingency plans for personnel and equipment to assist as needed. The State Office of Parks,Recreation and Historic Preservation ensured needed equipment were operational,and also secured buildings with sandbags to prevent flooding. [4] Seven airlines allowed travelers potentially affected by the hurricane to reschedule their flights to a later date. [5]
The pressure gradient between a ridge and Isabel produced strong northeast winds of at least tropical storm force across southeastern New York. [6] Shinnecock Inlet recorded a peak gust of 52 mph (84 km/h). [1] A station at LaGuardia Airport recorded a wind gust of 51 mph (82 km/h), [6] where airplane flights averaged a 90-minute delay. [7] The strongest winds occurred in the outer rainbands,during which many trees,tree limbs,and power lines fell across the region. In the New York metropolitan area,moderate winds downed 640 trees and 801 tree limbs. A man driving through Great Neck Estates was critically injured when a tree limb fell onto the car. Additionally,a falling tree branch hit a man in the head,resulting in a serious head injury. [6] In and around New York City,about 1.1 million customers were left without power,though most outages were fixed by the day after the hurricane passed through the region. [8] Offshore of Long Beach,rough waves killed a man while bodysurfing. [6]
Further to the northwest the winds were not as severe,though in some places in the south-central portion of the state the winds downed some trees. A falling tree hit and damaged a car in Cobleskill. The winds also knocked out power to about 3,000 customers in the Schoharie and eastern Mohawk Valleys. [9] In the northeast portion of the state,a few trees and power lines were blown down in Moriah,Westport,and Lewis. [10] Precipitation was generally light in the state,with a few scattered locations reporting over 1 inch (25 mm). [11] In Livingston County,the rainfall overflowed the reservoir,causing moderate flood damage. [12] Initially,gasoline futures on the New York Stock Exchange rose in anticipation of a threat from the hurricane,though later dropped when the storm failed to disrupt oil refining facilities. [13] The hurricane brought unusual birds to the western portion of the state,including petrels and shearwaters normally found in salt-water regions or over the open ocean. Most of the birds died within a few days due to the sudden change in habitat. [14] In Cayuga County,downed power lines lit one building on fire,causing minor smoke and water damage though no injuries. [15] Damage in the state totaled $90 million (2003 USD,$105 million 2008 USD). [1]
Rainfall reached 1 inch (25 mm) in portions of western Connecticut and Massachusetts. [11] Strong surf from Isabel caused a man to drown after losing his footing along the beach near Narragansett,Rhode Island,and being swept out to sea. [16] Officials in Connecticut contacted a water company in Watertown and a grocer in Cheshire for donations to assist the residents affected in North Carolina. A few days after Isabel moved ashore,the officials sent a tractor trailer truck with 2,000 gallons (7570 L) of water and 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg) of ice to North Carolina. [17] In Vermont,the strong pressure gradient produced a peak wind gust of 55 mph (89 km/h) in Pleasant Valley,causing sporadic downed trees and power lines throughout the state. [18] In Richmond,trees fell on and damaged three trucks, [19] and in Salisbury a falling tree damaged a car. [20] Damage in the state totaled about $100,000 (2003 USD,$117,000 in 2008 USD). [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] Rainfall reached 1 inch (25 mm) in various portions of New Hampshire and Maine. [11]
Hurricane Isabel was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Mitch, and the deadliest, costliest, and most intense hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Isabel was also the strongest hurricane in the open waters of the Atlantic, both by wind speed and central pressure, before being surpassed by hurricanes Irma and Dorian in 2017 and 2019, respectively. 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 moved northwestward, and within an environment of light wind shear and warm waters, it steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 165 mph (266 km/h) on September 11. After fluctuating in intensity for four days, during which it displayed annular characteristics, Isabel gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, with winds of 105 mph (169 km/h) on September 18. Isabel quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania on the next day. On September 20, the extratropical remnants of Isabel were absorbed into another system over Eastern Canada.
The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season was a very active season with tropical cyclogenesis occurring before and after the official bounds of the season—the first such occurrence since the 1970 season. The season produced 21 tropical cyclones, of which 16 developed into named storms; seven of those attained hurricane status, of which three reached major hurricane status. The strongest hurricane of the season was Hurricane Isabel, which reached Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale northeast of the Lesser Antilles; Isabel later struck North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane, causing $3.6 billion in damage and a total of 51 deaths across the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
The 1821 Norfolk and Long Island Hurricane was one of four known tropical cyclones that have made landfall in New York City. Another, even more intense hurricane in the pre-Columbian era left evidence that was detected in South Jersey by paleotempestological research. The third was the 1893 New York hurricane, and the fourth was Hurricane Irene in 2011.
Hurricane Danny was the only hurricane to make landfall in the United States during the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second hurricane and fourth tropical storm of the season. The system became the earliest-formed fifth tropical or subtropical storm of the Atlantic season in history when it attained tropical storm strength on July 17, and held that record until the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season when Tropical Storm Emily broke that record by several days. Like the previous four tropical or subtropical cyclones of the season, Danny had a non-tropical origin, after a trough spawned convection that entered the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Danny was guided northeast through the Gulf of Mexico by two high pressure areas, a rare occurrence in the middle of July. After making landfall on the Gulf Coast, Danny tracked across the southeastern United States and ultimately affected parts of New England with rain and wind.
Hurricane Gustav was a Category 2 hurricane that paralleled the East Coast of the United States in September 2002 during the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the seventh named storm and first hurricane of the season. Initially a subtropical depression north of the Bahamas, Gustav passed just to the east of the Outer Banks, North Carolina as a tropical storm before traveling northeastward, making two landfalls in Atlantic Canada as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm was responsible for one death and $100,000 in damage, mostly in North Carolina. The interaction between Gustav and a non-tropical system produced strong winds that caused an additional $240,000 (2002 USD) in damage in New England, but this damage was not directly attributed to the hurricane.
Tropical Storm Bill was a tropical storm that affected the Gulf Coast of the United States in the summer of 2003. The second storm of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season, Bill developed from a tropical wave on June 29 to the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. It slowly organized as it moved northward, and reached a peak of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) shortly before making landfall in south-central Louisiana. Bill quickly weakened over land, and as it accelerated to the northeast, moisture from the storm, combined with cold air from an approaching cold front, produced an outbreak of 34 tornadoes. Bill became extratropical on July 2, and was absorbed by the cold front later that day.
Hurricane Ernesto was the costliest tropical cyclone of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. The sixth tropical storm and first hurricane of the season, Ernesto developed from a tropical wave on August 24 in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Ernesto first affected the northern Caribbean, reaching minimal hurricane status near Haiti before weakening and moving across eastern Cuba as a tropical storm. Despite initial predictions for it to track through the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a major hurricane, Ernesto moved across eastern Florida as a weak tropical storm. After turning to the northeast, it re-intensified and made landfall on August 31 on the North Carolina coast just below hurricane status. Late the next day, Ernesto became extratropical after entering southern Virginia. The remnants spread moisture across the northeastern United States before dissipating over eastern Canada on September 4.
Tropical Storm Doria was the costliest tropical cyclone in the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season. The fifth tropical storm of the season, Doria developed from a tropical wave on August 20 to the east of the Lesser Antilles, and after five days without development it attained tropical storm status to the east of Florida. Doria turned to the north, and reached peak winds of 65 mph (105 km/h) as it was making landfall near Morehead City, North Carolina. It turned to the northeast, and moved through the Mid-Atlantic and New England as a tropical storm before becoming an extratropical storm over Maine on August 29.
The effects of Hurricane Isabel in New Jersey in 2003 were overall moderate, limited to fallen trees, two deaths, and $50 million in damage. Hurricane Isabel formed from a tropical wave on September 6 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 165 mph (266 km/h) 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 105 mph (169 km/h) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day. Several days before Isabel made landfall, there existed uncertainty in where the hurricane would strike. At least one computer model predicted a landfall on New Jersey, and as a result services across the state thoroughly prepared for the hurricane.
The effects of Hurricane Isabel in North Carolina were widespread, with the heaviest damage in Dare County. The hurricane made landfall in the Outer Banks of North Carolina on September 18. There, storm surge flooding and strong winds damaged thousands of houses. The storm surge produced a 2,000 feet (610 m) wide inlet on Hatteras Island, isolating Hatteras by road for two months. Several locations along North Carolina Highway 12 were partially washed out or covered with debris. Hurricane Isabel produced hurricane-force wind gusts across eastern North Carolina, knocking down trees and power lines. About 700,000 residents lost power due to the storm, although most outages were restored within a few days. The hurricane killed three people in the state – two due to falling trees, and the other a utility worker attempting to restore electricity. Damage in the state totaled $450 million.
The effects of Hurricane Isabel in Pennsylvania were primarily related to tropical storm force winds across much of the state. 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 165 mph (266 km/h) 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 105 mph (169 km/h) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day.
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 (103 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.
Hurricane Able was the only hurricane to make landfall in the United States in the 1952 season. Forming on August 18 off the west coast of Africa, Able moved generally west- to west-northwestward for much of its duration. It was first observed by the Hurricane Hunters on August 25 to the north of the Lesser Antilles. Two days later, Able attained hurricane status, and on August 30 it turned sharply to the north-northwest in response to a cold front. The hurricane reached peak winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) just prior to moving ashore near Beaufort, South Carolina on August 31. Although it quickly weakened below hurricane force, Able maintained tropical storm force for almost two days over land, eventually dissipating over Maine on September 2.
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