EYE OF ISIDORE ENTERING THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO;
WINDS AND RAINS WILL CONTINUE OVER WESTERN CUBA

September 20, 2002 — NOAA satellite images and radar data indicate that the center of Hurricane Isidore is emerging off the north coast of Cuba and entering the southeast Gulf of Mexico. At 11 p.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Isidore was located near latitude 22.4 north, longitude 84.6 west or about 40 miles north-northeast of Cabo San Antonio on the western tip of Cuba. Isidore has been drifting toward the northwest during the past few hours, but it should resume a track between the northwest and west-northwest near 7 mph during the next 12 to 24 hours, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Isidore taken at 11:15 p.m. EDT on Sept. 20, 2002. Click here to see latest view. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Maximum sustained winds remain near 100 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours, and Isidore could become a major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 145 miles. Estimated minimum central pressure is 964 mb, 28.47 inches. (NOAA aerial photo of Hurricane Isidore taken Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002 at 7:36 p.m. EDT from a NOAA P-3 Orion "hurricane hunter" aircraft at an altitude of 7,000 feet. Click here for high resolution version. Please note that this is a large file. Please credit "NOAA.")

Although the center of Isidore is beginning to move away from Cuba, extremely heavy rainfall amounts—up to 20 to 30 inches—are still possible over portions of western Cuba. Coastal storm surge flooding of 8 to 12 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, are occurring along the south coast of western Cuba but should gradually diminish.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the western Cuban provinces of Matanzas, Ciudad de La Habana, La Habana and Pinar del Rio, including the Isle of Youth. A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch remain in effect from Progresso to Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula, including the island of Cozumel.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices.

Click NOAA tracking map for larger view.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's National Hurricane Center — Get the latest advisories here

NOAA's Atlantic Hurricanes Database — 150 Years of Atlantic Hurricanes

El Niño Expected to Impact Atlantic Hurricane Season, NOAA Reports

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

NOAA's River Forecast Centers

NOAA's Flood Products

NOAA Rainfall Graphics
24-hour Observed Precipitation as of 8 a.m. today

Latest rainfall data as of 8 a.m. EDT today

NOAA Buoys

NOAA Satellite Images — The latest satellite views

Colorized Satellite Images

NOAA 3-D Satellite Images

NOAA's Hurricanes Page

NOAA's Storm Watch — Get the latest severe weather information across the USA

Media Contact:
Frank Lepore, NOAA's National Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404
(Photo courtesy of Sean McMillan, systems crew chief aboard NOAA-42 P-3 "hurricane hunter" aircraft.)

The responsibilities of Systems Crew Chief are to plan, coordinate, document, install and upgrade the aircraft scientific systems, as well as to network the onboard computers systems with those of other scientific organizations.

These computer systems are interconnected using a variety of network protocols. i.e. Ethernet, serial RS-232, RS-422, TCP/IP. Once the aircraft systems are installed and configured, he is responsible for their operation, maintenance and repair.