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EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISABEL NOW AT CATEGORY 5 INTENSITY

(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.)

NOAA satellite image of Hurricane Isabel taken on Sept. 11, 2003, at 1:45 p.m. EDT.Sept. 11, 2003 — The NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., reports that NOAA satellite images indicate that Hurricane Isabel has continued to strengthen and has reached Category 5 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Isabel is the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Mitch of 1998. At 5 p.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Isabel was located near latitude 21.6 north, longitude 55.3 west or about 500 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Island. Isabel is moving toward the west near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours.(Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of the eye of Hurricane Isabel taken on Sept. 11, 2003, at 1:45 p.m. EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

NOAA satellite image of Hurricane Isabel taken on Sept. 11, 2003, at 10:45 a.m. EDT.Maximum sustained winds are near 160 mph with higher gusts. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely over the next 24 hours. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of very dangerous Hurricane Isabel looming hundreds of miles from the USA coast with the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Henri still hugging parts of the Eastern United States taken on Sept. 11, 2003, at 10:45 a.m. EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

HURRICANE MITCH LEGACY

Hurricane Mitch, November 1998: One of the strongest late season hurricanes on record formed in the western Carribean in October 1998. Although the system eventually weakened before landfall, its slow passage westward over the mountainous regions of Central America unleashed precipitation amounts estimated as high as 75 inches. The resulting floods devastated the entire infrastructure of Honduras and also severely impacted other countries in the area. The final estimated death toll was 11,000, the greatest loss of life from a tropical system in the western hemisphere since 1780.

NOAA tracking map of Hurricane Isabel.Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 921 mb, 27.20 inches.

Large ocean swells and dangerous surf conditions are likely over portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the next several days. (Click NOAA tracking map of Hurricane Isabel for larger view.)

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices.

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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