POWERFUL HURRICANE ISABEL MOVING NORTHWEST (See the NOAA National Hurricane Center for the latest information on this storm. Complete advisories are posted at 11 a.m., 5 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. All times are Eastern. Advisories are posted more frequently as the storm nears the USA mainland.) Sept. 15, 2003 � The NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., reports that at 5 p.m. EDT the center of Hurricane Isabel was located near latitude 25.6 north, longitude 70.0 west or about 740 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C. This position is also about 470 miles east of Nassau. Isabel is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph, and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. (Click NOAA close-up satellite image for larger view of the eye of Hurricane Isabel taken on Sept. 15, 2003, at 3:15 p.m. EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
(Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of dangerous Hurricane Isabel as the Eastern Seaboard awaits its arrival taken on Sept. 15, 2003, at 3:15 p.m. EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
(Click close-up NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Isabel taken at 3:15 p.m. EDT on Sept. 15, 2003. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
(Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Isabel taking aim at the U.S. mainland taken on Sept. 15, 2003, at 3:15 p.m. EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph with higher gusts. Fluctuations in intensity are common in major hurricanes, and these could occur over the next 24 hours.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. (Click NOAA tracking map of Hurricane Isabel for larger view.)
Estimated minimum central pressure is 949 mb, 28.02 inches. Interests from the Carolinas northward to southern New England, along the coast and inland, should closely monitor the progress of Isabel. Large ocean swells and dangerous surf conditions are already being experienced along portions of the U.S. mid-Atlantic coastline. These conditions will also continue over portions of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the islands of the Bahamas over the next few days.
For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation�s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Relevant Web Sites
NOAA National Hurricane Center — Get the latest advisories here
NOAA Atlantic Hurricanes Database — 150 Years of Atlantic Hurricanes
NOAA Forecasters Say Six to Nine Hurricanes Could Threaten in 2003
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
NOAA River Forecast Centers
NOAA 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 Tides Online
NOAA Satellite Images — The latest satellite views
Colorized Satellite Images
NOAA 3-D Satellite Images
NOAA Hurricanes Page
NOAA Storm Watch — Get the latest severe weather information across the USA Media Contact:
Frank Lepore, NOAA Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404
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