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[AussieMark]

Hurricane Isabel Pounds North Carolina
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By EMERY P. DALESIO, Associated Press Writer

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. - Hurricane Isabel plowed into North Carolina's Outer Banks with 100 mph winds and pushed its way up the Eastern seaboard Thursday, swamping roads and knocking out power to more than 1 million people but packing nowhere near the terrifying punch it had days earlier.


Meanwhile, President Bush (news - web sites) granted North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley's request for a federal disaster declaration, ordering federal aid to the state.


The storm that had once threatened 160 mph winds and a 12-foot storm surge rolled in around midday just south of isolated Ocracoke Island with a 5-foot surge and gusts that rattled plywood boards spray-painted "Bring it on Izzy."


"A lot of trees are down — there's one down across the garage," Rudy Austin said as he looked out on his yard in Ocracoke surrounded by a knee-deep soup of sea water and debris. "There's a lot of stuff floating around: boards and buoys and boxes and young'uns' plastic toys."


Despite downed trees, snarled air traffic and widespread power outages — about 1.3 million in North Carolina and southeastern Virginia alone — there were no immediate reports of any deaths or widespread flooding.


But National Hurricane Center (news - web sites) Director Max Mayfield said fast-moving Isabel still poses a threat because of its dimensions — about the size of Colorado — and its potential to bring 6 to 10 inches of rain and flooding to an East Coast already sodden from one of the wettest summers in years.


"This is certainly not over for people experiencing Hurricane Isabel," he said. "This hurricane will not be remembered for how strong it is. It will be remembered for how large it is."


There were isolated areas of damage and distress on the Outer Banks. The storm tore apart two beach houses in Nags Head, picking up the washer, dryer and refrigerator and carrying them about 500 feet down the street.


Wind blew out the windows of a storm shelter near Elizabeth City, injuring five people hit by flying glass. In the community of Harlow, just inland from the coast, rescue teams were dispatched after about 130 people were trapped by floodwaters, possibly in their own homes.


The storm spread rain across North Carolina and Virginia and into Maryland, Delaware and parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania.


Isabel's top sustained wind eased to 95 mph after it hit land, and it was expected to continue weakening. Hurricane-force wind — at least 74 mph — extended up to 115 miles out from the center.


At 5 p.m. EDT, the center of Isabel's "very large eye" was over North Carolina's Pamlico Sound, between the mainland and the Outer Banks. It was moving northwest at around 24 mph.


It was expected to move north across Virginia and cut through western Pennsylvania and western New York state before dissipating in Canada by Saturday.


Rhonda Davis, whose parents had to be airlifted from their home in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd killed 56 people, said she was not convinced Isabel would leave eastern North Carolina unscathed.


"When something like this happens, I don't care what it is, you prepare for the worst," she said. "I don't think it's going to be bigger than Floyd, but I think it's going to be larger than what people think."


Up to a foot of rain was possible in West Virginia's hilly Eastern Panhandle and 6 to 9 inches was forecast for parts of Pennsylvania.


In anticipation of flooding and wind damage, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell issued a statewide "disaster emergency" declaration. The governors of West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware had earlier declared emergencies, and the governor of New Jersey planned a declaration Thursday.





Well over 1,500 flights were canceled at airports in the major eastern cities, said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association. As the storm moved northward, all flights to and from the Washington metropolitan area's airports were likely to be canceled, he said.

The federal government shut down in Washington. Amtrak halted service south of Washington, and the Washington-area Metro system shut down all subway and bus service.

Miss America (news - web sites) pageant organizers went ahead with the plans for their annual parade Friday night in Atlantic City, N.J., hoping the boardwalk would escape damage.

For many, the hurricane's passing was merely a sightseeing event.

"For me, this is just like another little rainstorm, but you take what you can get," storm chaser Warren Faidley said as he videotaped the frothy, 15-foot swells on Atlantic Beach, N.C.

He was impressed that in the middle of the hurricane, he was able to get a hot sausage biscuit at a pier right on the beach.

"Hot food during the hurricane," he said, chewing away. "This is the most gentlemanly chase of all times."

[HurricaneQueen]

Could Warren Faidley be our very own ChaserUK? His quote sounds very British: "This is the most gentlemanly chase of all times." in reference to buying a hot sausage biscuit from the pier on the beach in Atlantic Beach, NC. Has anyone heard from him?

[paradoxsixnine]

Could Warren Faidley be our very own ChaserUK? His quote sounds very British: "This is the most gentlemanly chase of all times." in reference to buying a hot sausage biscuit from the pier on the beach in Atlantic Beach, NC. Has anyone heard from him?

You know, I thought the same thing when I read this...

[Toni - 574]

You guys could be right! Would love to know for sure. Will have to make sure we follow thru and find out. It would be so cool if it was!

[wow]

You guys could be right! Would love to know for sure. Will have to make sure we follow thru and find out. It would be so cool if it was!

Nope, his name is Matthew Hatton

found out he has a website: http://www.chaseruk.co.uk/

[HurricaneQueen]

Thanks for clearing that up. Exciting for a short while thinking it could be him. Maybe one of his buddies? At any rate, any news from him yet?

[deb_in_nc]

Faidley lives in Arizona.

Debbie