Isabel recap

[WEATHER53]

Power finally back on after 72.5 hours outage. Although 60 mph gusts in DC metro are not a very big winds this storm casued very big problems for MD/VA and DC metro and probably ranks 4th behind Storm of 1933, Hazel and Agnes in terms of damage. Anyone who is stating that this storm was overhyped is purely incorrect. Parts of coastal Virginia and North Carolina have experienced damage that has been equalled or exceeded only once or twice. We almost made it all the way through but around 11pm Thursday night the winds became consistently 40-45 and the prior peak gust of 48 was eclipsed many times with a peak of 58 and the trees started coming down. The looming disaster is that with 60mph peaks and only 1-5% trees downs or large limbs off if DC metro ever did have a tropical situation with gusts to 90 then the 3 to 7 day outage with 1-5% down wouyld likely become a 1-3 week outage with that type of wind causing about a 30-50% downage and I just think that the population would become out of control. The tree huggerss need to take a back seat, PEPCO nees to address this time bomb and all the 30'+ trees that are within a few feet of the power lines need to be cut down or all we are asking for, and will receive, is a repeat or worse.

[weatherlover427]

Glad you're OK, WEATHER53. Was getting worried about you. :o

[JtSmarts]

Thanks for keeping us informed, stay safe up there.

[Guest]

Great post and info 53......................I couldnt agree more with the tree statement in the DC area.................Most of the main highways are lined with trees that are just trouble waiting to happen.................I myself love trees but they dont belong along the main highways or next to utility lines especially the bigger trees .........................Nothing wrong with planting shrubs or something else that isnt a disaster waiting to happen..................

[vbhoutex]

Here in Houston, our power company has learned from the past. They periodically come through and clear the limbs and trees from around the power lines. Obviously they can't get everything, but it does stop a lot of the problems associated with winds taking limbs into the lines and bringing them down.

When Alicia came through in 1983 we had people without power up to 3 weeks. The 7 days I was without was way too long!!!! NO AC AND 95º TEMPS DO NOT WORK TOGETHER!!

[Stormsfury]

I remember the days after Hugo ... and the unseasonably hot lower 90's that decided to heat things up with absolutely no A/C, nothing, to cool things down ... not fun by any stretch of the imagination ...

SF

[Zanzie]

Great points, Weather 53.

We lost 3 trees, and narrowly avoided having a 100 foot tulip poplar hit the house. We've had repeated problems with these trees uprooting during tropical storms, and we're taking a hard look at thinning the trees near our home. We just can't take the aggravation anymore. There are probably another 8 or so similar trees that should be removed purely as a preventive measure.

We had widespread power outages in PA, and some are still without power. I haven't heard any discussion yet about removing trees surrounding power lines, but it may yet come. Our trees add a lot of charm, but with every storm, the limbs come crashing down on power lines. Had Isabel remained a category 5 and come up Chesapeake Bay, the damage would have been horrific up here.

[JQ Public]

Definitly take a look at your diseased and dying trees. You know which ones they are. Luckily we cut down a 100 yr old red oak in our back yard that was severely diseased about 2 months ago. It suffered massive limb loss during our crippling ice storm and we dind't want it to come completely down. As for trees and powerlines...most lines that are lost are in residential areas...unless you live right off the highway i doubt taking down the trees there iwll do anything. If you want power you're gonna have to make people take down trees in front of their houses..backyards...and at their businesses....so i doubt you'll have much success getting them to cut down their trees. In Raleigh we've been through three hurricanes that made us lose power as well as that ice storm...and it never gets better.