page_title: Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Virginia
section_title: Central and southwest
hierarchical_section_title: Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Virginia / Impact / Central and southwest
caption_attribution_description: Picture of a tree split in half in Richmond, Virginia, caused by Hurricane Isabel.
context_page_description: The effects of Hurricane Isabel in Virginia proved to be the costliest disaster in the history of Virginia. 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 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 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, 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 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 in Sherando, Virginia.
context_section_description: A tornado was reported near Emporia, though this was not later confirmed. The storm surge tracked into the central portion of the state, with a site on the James River in Richmond reporting an estimated surge of about 9 feet (2.7 m), about 103 river miles (166 km) from its confluence with the lower Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, widespread areas of heavy rainfall of over 5 inches (130 mm) led to flooding of rivers. Richmond set a new daily rainfall record from the precipitation from Isabel. Strong winds were reported throughout the region, and wind gusts reached 73 mph (117 km/h) at Richmond International Airport.
  The storm surge significantly damaged or destroyed many homes along the James River, particularly in the towns of Claremont and Burwells Bay, Virginia. The surges in several tidal rivers caught some residents by surprise, both in height and severity. A man in Henrico County drowned after crashing into a flooded creek.
  The winds downed trees throughout the area, some of which hit homes and vehicles. In Amelia County, strong winds removed a mobile home from its foundation and destroyed it. Falling trees killed two in the area—one in Chesterfield County and one in the city of Richmond. The downed trees snapped many power lines, leaving about 365,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers in the Richmond area without power. A portion of the roof of The Diamond, home of the Richmond Braves, was damaged by the winds.
  Wet conditions caused many accidents along roadways in central Virginia. A motorist on Interstate 95 in Richmond died when he hydroplaned and crashed his car. In Albemarle County, a popular forest boardwalk that was part of the Monticello property was destroyed by a falling oak tree. Also in Albemarle, two people were killed when their car drove off a road and crashed into a tree during heavy rainfall. A man in Chesterfield County died when struck by a tree. Three people died when a car in southern Fluvanna County crashed into a tree. The deaths were considered indirectly related to the storm.
  In south-central Virginia, strong winds produced widespread wind damage, with numerous trees and power lines reported down. In Campbell County, two homes were destroyed and ten others suffered minor damage. One residence in Amherst County suffered minor damage, and in Appomattox County one home reported major damage. In Buckingham County, one home was destroyed, three reported major damage, and one business suffered minor damage, while in Charlotte County, two homes were destroyed, 30 homes suffered major damage, and five businesses suffered minor damage. The storm destroyed one home and damaged 20, severely damaged three businesses, and caused some crop damage in Pittsylvania County. Monetary damage in the region totaled about $3 million (2003 USD; $4 million 2008 USD).
caption: Downed tree in Richmond
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