Hurricane (Typhoon) — Northampton, North Carolina

2003-09-18 to 2003-09-19 · Northampton, North Carolina

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Isabel was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed the Wakefield WFO county warning area. Sustained tropical storm force winds with gusts to hurricane force occurred over the piedmont of northeast North Carolina. Isabel made landfall near Ocracoke Inlet in North Carolina, tracked northwest into central Virginia just west of Richmond, then continued northward into western Pennsylvania. The highest sustained wind speed recorded was 37 mph at Roanoke Rapids (RZZ). The highest gust recorded was 63 mph at Roanoke Rapids (RZZ). Approximately several thousand persons were evacuated and housed in numerous shelters across the piedmont of northeast North Carolina. The unusually large wind field uprooted many thousands of trees, downed many power lines, damaged hundreds of houses, and snapped thousands of telephone poles and cross arms. Hundreds of roads, including major highways, were blocked by fallen trees. Local power companies reported many thousands of customers were without power. The lowest sea level pressure recorded was 984 mb at Duck (DUCN7) and Duck (Army Coe Field Research Facility). Isabel will be remembered for the greatest wind and storm surge in the region since Hazel in 1954, and the 1933 Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane. Also, Isabel will be remembered for the extensive power outages in northeast North Carolina, and permanent change to the landscape from all the fallen trees and storm surge. Rainfall amounts ranged from 2 to 5 inches across the piedmont of northeast North Carolina. Inland flooding due to heavy rainfall occurred over parts of the piedmont of northeast North Carolina. Eight deaths can be directly attributed to Isabel in the Wakefield area of responsibility, with 1 in North Carolina. There were more than 15 deaths indirectly attributed to the storm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5370985. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.