Effects of Hurricane Isabel in North
Carolina
Hurricane Isabel
Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Hurricane Isabel approaching North Carolina’s Outer
Banks
Areas
affected
Outer Banks,
eastern North Carolina
Date
September 18, 2003
Highest
winds
105 mph (165 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Fatalities 1 direct, 2 indirect
Damage
$450 million (2003 USD)
Part of the
2003 Atlantic hurricane season
Part of a series on Hurricane Isabel
Effects
• North Carolina
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Maryland and Washington, D.C.
• Delaware
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• New York and New England
• Canada
Other wikis
• Commons: Isabel images
The effects of Hurricane Isabel on North
Carolina were the worst from a hurricane
since Hurricane Floyd made landfall in 1999.
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 (265 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 (165 km/h) on
September 18. It quickly weakened over land
and became extratropical over western
Pennsylvania the next day.
Isabel produced moderate to heavy dam-
age across eastern North Carolina, totaling
$450 million
(2003 USD,
$495 million
2006 USD). Damage was heaviest in Dare
County, where storm surge flooding and
strong winds damaged thousands of houses.
The storm surge produced a 2,000 foot
(600 m) wide inlet on Hatteras Island, isolat-
ing Hatteras by road for two months. Strong
winds downed hundreds of trees of across
the state, leaving up to 700,000 residents
without power. Most areas with power out-
ages had power restored within a few days.
The hurricane directly killed one person and
indirectly killed two in the state.
Preparations
By four days before Isabel made landfall,
most computer models predicted Isabel to
make landfall between North Carolina and
New Jers