موسم الاعاصير في المحيط الاطلسي في عام 2003
ملخص الموسم > Hurricane Isabel

| Category 5 hurricane (SSHWS)  | Category 5 hurricane (SSHWS)  |
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المدة الزمنية: September 6 – September 19
كثافة الذروة: 165 ميل/س (270 كم/س) (1-min); 915 مليبار (هكتوباسكال)
تعديل مصدري - تعديل  : تعديل مصدري - تعديل  
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 1, which developed into Tropical Depression Thirteen early on September 6 to the southwest of the Cape Verde islands. It quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Isabel, and it continued to gradually intensify within an area of light wind shear and warm waters. Isabel strengthened to a hurricane on September 7, and the following day it attained major hurricane status. Its intensity fluctuated over the subsequent days as it passed north of the Lesser Antilles, and it attained peak winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) on September 11, a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The hurricane oscillated between Category 4 and Category 5 status over the following four days, before weakening due to wind shear. On September 18 Isabel made landfall between Cape Lookout and Ocracoke Island in North Carolina with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). It continued northwestward, becoming extratropical over western Pennsylvania before being absorbed by a larger storm over Ontario on September 19.
Strong winds from Isabel extended from North Carolina to New England and westward to West Virginia. The winds, combined with previous rainfall which moistened the soil, downed many trees and power lines across its path, leaving about 6 million electricity customers without power at some point. Coastal areas suffered from waves and its powerful storm surge, with areas in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia reporting severe damage from both winds and the storm surge. Throughout its path, Isabel resulted in $5.5 billion in damage (2003 USD) and 47 deaths, of which 16 were directly related to the storm's effects.
The governors of Pennsylvania، West Virginia، Maryland، New Jersey, and Delaware declared states of emergencies. Isabel was the first major hurricane to threaten the Mid-Atlantic States and the South since Hurricane Floyd in September 1999. Isabel's greatest impact was due to flood damage, the worst in some areas of Virginia since 1972's Hurricane Agnes. More than 60 million people were affected to some degree — a similar number to Floyd but more than any other hurricane in recent memory.
A strong tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 6, and almost immediately it became associated with a broad surface circulation. With favorable upper-level winds the system quickly became better organized, and on September 8 it possessed enough organization to be classified as Tropical Depression Fourteen while located about 290 mi (465 km) southeast of the southernmost Cape Verde islands. Initially the depression failed to maintain an inner core of deep convection, and despite its occurrence with nearby dry air, the depression was forecast to intensify to hurricane status due to anticipated favorable conditions.
In the hours subsequent to formation, the convection near the center decreased as the banding features dissipated. Dry air greatly increased over the depression, and by September 9 the system was not forecast to intensify past minimal tropical storm status. Later that day an upper-level low tracked southward to the west of the depression, which increased wind shear and caused a steady north-northwest motion for the depression. The circulation became elongated and separated from the convection as it passed just west of the Cape Verde Islands, where it brought heavy rainfall, and on September 10 the depression dissipated.