In the eye...are you going to be?

[KeyLargoDave]

Starting a topic for people in the landfall area...

What are your plans if you live in the Outer Bank/Va Beach/Delmarva zone?

Anyone heading to observe Isabel, let us know where you think you'll be. (Last heard ChaserUK was going to US with fellow chasers, not sure of their position).

Who's looking for a place to ride out Isabel/offering to put up fellow chasers?

What do you see for evacuation orders/problems? I think Florida has a law that you can't be forced to evacuate, what about your area?

Predictions on time watches/warnings will be posted? Advice about closures -- like when Intracoastal bridges will get locked down or evac routes closed?

All of us who seem to be in the clear are thinking about y'all in the danger zone.

[Deenac813]

I agree.. we will be thinking about you.. If your city if predicted to be in the eye.. I would advise you to evacuate.. Andrew was supposed to come right down the main road by where I live & I am so glad it did not.. If a Cat 4/5 is every scheduled to come directly at me again, I will leave.. I am almost 8 miles inland but that is really nothing..

[KeyLargoDave]

Deenac, I also got out for Andrew and as it turned out, had no damage at my place in Key Largo...but if it sunk another .25 degree south, who knows!

It was amazing how the damage just stopped at Florida City, only about 15 miles from my door (Ocean Reef on the north tip of Key Largo actually did get slammed, but not many people saw the damage cause it's a completely closed country club).

[KeyLargoDave]

Copied this from JetMaxx on another thread cause it's such good information for this topic:

The record storm for the Cape Hatteras and Virginia Beach area was the severe hurricane of September 1944....sustained winds of 130 mph (the anemometer at Cape Hatteras failed at 110 mph; a peak gust of 150 mph was measured at Cape Henry, Virginia).

A 140 mph hurricane is climatologically possible on the Carolina outer banks. The great September 1938 hurricane was estimated to be 940 mb and 140 mph as it passed about 75 miles east of Cape Hatteras (and still a 125-130 mph cat 3 at landfall on central Long Island, NY). Several other hurricanes have sustained winds of 140 mph at the same latitude (35 N) as Cape Hatteras is located.

Hurricane Isabel is the same type of hurricane as both the 1938 and 1944 hurricanes were...large and intense with a large eye; so a 130-140 mph hurricane at landfall won't surprise me.

[Stephanie]

To tell you the truth, I will be right at home, though if the eye goes over the DelmarVa, I will be in the NE quadrant. I am not near the shore, we do have some rivers and creeks nearby. Actually, my house is on the high point of my court. The development is on a decline, I'm on the lower end, but still higher than some of my neighbors.

As for my casino down in Atlantic City...well, MY building is a block to the north, but we could have some substantial flooding. Right across the street is our new hotel tower with a big *$$ crane right in the middle. The outside facade is starting to go up in some areas, but I can't imagine what this will do to our forecasted grand opening of April, 2004.

[onthedge]

Presently preparing for the worst. built my home 3 yrs ago as strong as possible, but hasn't been storm tested. Surge is not a worry am up high enough, but wind and debris are a concern. My wife and my rule of thumb is Cat 4 or 5 we're outta here, Cat 1 or 2 we stay, Cat 3 were argue about it.

[KeyLargoDave]

Here's a link provided by GalvestonDuck regarding Norfolk/Va beach area evac zones and routes:

http://storm2k.org/Weather-Central/Emer ... PhaseI.htm

[DelStormLover]

Well, We are goning to start preps on tuesday if the storm is still headed for us, put up some plywood on the outside of the windows, a duct-tape "X" on the inside,get some batterys, canned goods, candles,etc......if it is stronger than a cat2 when it comes up this way, or if we are asked, we will evacuate......we have some relatives in west chester pa that we can go to.

[KeyLargoDave]

Sounds like you are set, DelStormlover.

I recommend one propane or butane lantern -- pretty cheap, much more light than batteries. You know how candles just suck after the first night.

A good kerosene/lamp oil lantern has worked for me too. A Dietz (I think) was about $20 , strong and secure -- and bright.

[KeyLargoDave]

copied from a post by SoonerTwister, re: evacuating DelMarVa

I visited the Baltimore Sun website this morning, and there is scarcely even a mention of Isabel at their site. That seems to be terribly complacent, because I'm estimating that if this hurricane does indeed hit near Chesapeake Bay, the absolute last day to evacuate would be Wednesday, in an area notoriously difficult to evacuate because of the circuitous routes that must be taken to get out. For instance, they will shut down the Chesapeake Bay bridge, as the potential for a catastrophe of nightmarish proportions is too high for them to risk having thousands upon thousands of people on that bridge with an approaching hurricane.

I hope those people are starting to get the message LOUD AND CLEAR that now is not the time to consider making preparations, but the time to act. These people absolutely have to know whether or not they are staying or leaving by no later than bedtime Tuesday night.

[SWV]

I live in Baltimore and most people aren't even aware of Isabel!! Last nights' news was a brief "isn't this interesting" report on Isabel. When I mentioned the potentional of a huricane hitting our area my neighbors thought I was nuts. I guess by Monday or Tuesday there will be a run on water, batteries etc Susan