Hurricane Isabel Expected to Have Wide Impact

September 18, 2003

Hurricane Isabel Expected to Have Wide Impact
Hurricane Isabel is already wreaking havoc on the East Coast although the Category 2 storm isn’t expected to make landfall until midday today in North Carolina.

According to MSNBC, Isabel is expected to bring hurricane force winds lasting 10 to 12 hours. Capable of spawning tornadoes, the hurricane is expected to move over Virginia and then Pennsylvania before dissipating in Canada by Saturday.

The storm is expected to slam the Outer Banks region of North Carolina by midday with 100 mph winds and storm surges of up to 11 feet. A hurricane warning remained in effect from Cape Fear in southern North Carolina to the Virginia-Maryland line. MSNBC also reported that a tropical storm warning was extended eastward from New Jersey to parts of New York City and Long Island.

In Washington, D.C., the Metro system, commuter railroads, the federal government, most public schools and most county and city offices are closed today, according to The Washington Post. The National Weather Service predicted the storm will hit the D.C. area this afternoon.

Forecasters worry that the worst damage from the hurricane could result from flooding far inland from the coastal areas, similar to destruction that occurred with Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

To read more extensive Hurricane Isabel coverage, go to MSNBC.com. To read about closings in Washington, D.C., click on washingtonpost.com.