.jpg) Satellite picture shows Hurricane Isabel entering Virginia as Category 1 storm. | |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
|---|---|
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
| Highest gusts | 105 mph (170 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 969 mbar (hPa); 28.61 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 10 direct, 22 indirect |
| Damage | $1.85 billion (2003 USD) |
| Areas affected | Virginia |
Part of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The effects of Hurricane Isabel in Virginia proved to be the costliest disaster in the history of Virginia.[1] 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 265 km/h (165 mph) 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 165 km/h (103 mph) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land as it passed through central Virginia, and Isabel became extratropical over western Pennsylvania on September 19.
Strong winds from the hurricane affected 99 counties and cities in the state,[1][2] which downed thousands of trees and left about 1.8 million without power. The storm surge impacted much of the southeastern portion of the state, peaking at around 9 feet (2.7 m) in Richmond along the James River; the surge caused significant damage to homes along riverways. The nationwide maximum rainfall total from the hurricane was 20.2 inches (510 mm) in Sherando, Virginia. In the state's mountainous region, heavy rainfall caused severe and damaging flash flooding. The hurricane caused about $1.85 billion (2003 USD, $2.17 billion 2008 USD) in damage and 36 deaths in the state—10 directly from the storm's effects and 22 indirectly related.[3]
- ^ a b Church World Service (2003). "The CWS Response" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
- ^ Although the reference stated that 99 counties in Virginia were affected, the state has only 95 counties. Uniquely in the United States, all Virginia communities incorporated as cities are legally separate from any county.
- ^ National Weather Service (2006). "Virginia Hurricane History". Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2013-03-08.
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