In Virginia, Hurricane Isabel became 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 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 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,Although the reference stated that 99 counties in Virginia were affected, the state has only 95 counties. Uniquely in the United States, all Virginia communities incorporated as cities are legally separate from any county. 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 in Richmond along the James River; the surge caused significant damage to homes along riverways. The nationwide maximum rainfall total from the hurricane was in Sherando, Virginia. In the state's mountainous region, heavy rainfall caused severe and damaging flash flooding. The hurricane caused about $1.85 billion (2003 USD, $2.17 billion 2008 USD) in damage and 36 deaths in the state—10 directly from the storm's effects and 22 indirectly related.
Preparations By four days before Isabel made landfall, most weather models predicted Isabel to make landfall between North Carolina and New Jersey. Initially, forecasters predicted it to move along the coastline of the Chesapeake Bay, though as the hurricane neared land the predicted track was much closer to where it ultimately was. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Chincoteague near its border with Maryland about 50 hours before Isabel struck land, including the southern portion of the Chesapeake Bay. 18 hours before the hurricane made landfall, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the watch to a hurricane warning for the entire coastline. Additionally, inland hurricane and tropical storm warnings were issued for south-central Virginia. The Wakefield National Weather Service office issued three tornado warnings for four counties, though none became tornadoes. The office also issued two county-wide flood warnings and 43 flood warnings and flood statements for various river basins.
The Virginia Emergency Management Agency was activated on September 15, about three days prior to Isabel making landfall and entering the state. Officials in Hampton issued the first mandatory evacuation in the state on September 17, about 35 hours prior to landfall. Eleven hours later, a mandatory evacuation was issued for some residents in Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach, with a recommended evacuation for some residents in the city of Suffolk and Isle of Wight, Northumberland, Richmond, and York counties. Later on September 17 Governor Mark Warner provided authorization for all recommended evacuations to become mandatory. By the time Isabel entered Virginia late on September 18, evacuations were also issued for Accomack County, Chincoteague, Gloucester County, Lancaster County, Mathews County, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, and Westmoreland County. The zones ordered to evacuate included residents along waterfronts, in areas prone to flooding, potentially affected by storm surge from a Category 2 hurricane, low-lying areas, health care facilities, or islands. The tools officials used to determine the evacuation zones included shelter locations, the SLOSH storm surge model, evacuation maps, and clearance times.
Despite the orders, a relatively small number of people evacuated for the hurricane. According to a telephone survey conducted by the United States Department of Commerce, the highest participation rate was for residents in the Northern Neck in areas potentially affected by the storm surge from a Category 2 hurricane, of which 41% in the survey stated they left their houses for a safer location. In Surry, only 9% of those in a Category 2 hurricane storm surge zone left. 30% who participated in the survey along the Eastern Shore left. The primary reasons for the choice whether to evacuate or not were due to the track of Isabel, its strength, or influence from the media. Most participants in the survey stated they did not hear any sort of evacuation notice from public officials in their location, however. Of those who evacuated, about 64% left for the house of a friend or a relative, with about 24% evacuating to a hotel or a motel. Most of those in Hampton and Norfolk left for elsewhere in the state, while the majority of those in the Northern Neck evacuated to destinations in their own neighborhood or community. The evacuation destinations on the Eastern Shore of Virginia were varied, with 23% leaving for Maryland and 46% staying in their own neighborhood or community. The length of the evacuation process varied between a few hours to two days, with the worst evacuation problems being closed or flooded roads. The Virginia Army National Guard and State Police troopers assisted in the evacuations. In all, more than 160,000 residents in southeastern Virginia were told to evacuate, including 11,000 in vulnerable locations along the Chesapeake Bay and all residents in mobile home parks in Chesapeake and Newport News. A total of about 16,325 people evacuated to 67 shelters. Some of the reported problems were shortages of supplies, unanticipated medical issues, overcrowding, and lack of security.
United States Navy officials in Norfolk ordered more than 40 destroyers, frigates, and amphibious ships out to sea to avoid any potential damage from the hurricane. Officials at the Langley Air Force Base in Hampton ordered about 6,000 workers to evacuate elsewhere, due to its vulnerability to flooding. About 350 National Guard workers assisted boat owners in the southeastern portion of the state. In Mathews County, two boat owners experienced fatal heart attacks as they worked to protect their boats. Officials distributed sandbags throughout the state for residents in flood-prone areas, including about 10,000 in the city of Alexandria. Prior to the arrival of the hurricane, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was closed, as were all campgrounds along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the primary parkway in Roanoke. In Chincoteague, the famous Chincoteague Ponies were moved by volunteer firefighters to grounds of about higher. Officials closed schools, government offices, and businesses across the eastern portion of the state, leaving usually heavily congested roads as empty streets. Additionally, officials canceled trains along the Washington Metro, the Virginia Railway Express, and Amtrak lines, and several flights in and out of the Richmond International Airport.
Impact Throughout the state, Hurricane Isabel resulted in a damage total of $1.85 billion (2003 USD, $2.17 billion 2008 USD). The hurricane destroyed more than 1,186 homes and 77 businesses, severely damaged 9,110 homes and 333 businesses, and left 107,908 homes and over 1,000 businesses with minor damage. Across the state, the hurricane generated an estimated 660,000 dump trucks of debris. At least ten people were directly killed by the storm, and hundreds more were injured. A total of 1.8 million electrical customers were left without power, with electrical damage totaling $128 million (2003 USD, $150 million 2008 USD). Dominion Virginia Power reported 2,311 broken utility poles, 3,899 snapped crossarms, and 7,363 spans of downed power lines, with 72% of its primary distribution circuits damaged. The passage of the hurricane resulted in an agricultural damage total of about $117 million (2003 USD, $137 million 2008 USD).
Hampton Roads and Delmarva
Along the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Isabel produced sustained winds reaching with gusts to at Wallops Island. Higher unofficial gusts were recorded, including a peak reading of in Chincoteague. Rainfall was fairly light, with recorded in Heathsville. On Fisherman Island, the hurricane produced a 4.26-foot (1.3-m) storm surge, flooding much of the island. The combination of the surge and waves resulted in minor beach erosion and overwash. Northampton County reported $10 million in crop damage (2003 USD, $12 million 2008 USD). One person died in Accomack County when a tree fell on his mobile home.
In the Hampton Roads region, Isabel produced a high storm surge, including reports of at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and a peak of at Gloucester Point. Unofficially higher amounts included an estimate of at Smithfield. In some locations, the surge surpassed the previous record set by the 1933 Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane. Despite being classified as a hurricane while crossing the state, sustained winds only peaked at at Gloucester Point, less than minimum hurricane intensity. Hurricane-force wind gusts were recorded at multiple locations, with a reading at Gloucester Point and unofficial reports peaking at on Gwynn's Island. Additionally, Chesapeake Light, located east of Virginia Beach, reported a peak wind gust of . The hurricane produced heavy rainfall in the Hampton Roads area, reaching at James City. The outer rainbands of Isabel spawned a wide F0 tornado in Nottoway County near Crewe, the only confirmed tornado during the passage of the hurricane. However, many people in the city of Norfolk reported that there was a tornado in that city as well. The tornado lasted a short amount of time and caused no known damage. Strong waves, which reached in height offshore, caused severe beach erosion in Hampton, Newport News, and other locations along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
In Virginia Beach, the 15th Street fishing pier was significantly damaged due to intense wave action. Likewise the historic Harrison's Pier in the Ocean View area of Norfolk was completely destroyed. Many private piers and some public ones along the coastline were destroyed or damaged from the waves and storm surge, including a destroyed pier each in Buckroe Beach and Lynnhaven. Moderate winds caused light damage to roofs and siding of oceanfront homes and hotels. In Virginia Beach, beach erosion and coastal flooding was minimal, credited due to a $125 million beach expansion project. Several bridges in the Hampton Roads area were closed due to the hurricane. The strong storm surge surpassed the floodgate to the Midtown Tunnel while workers attempted to close the gate. About of water from the Elizabeth River flooded the tunnel entirely in just 40 minutes, with the workers barely able to escape. The flooding left the tunnel damaged and closed for nearly a month.
Heavy rainfall led to moderate to severe inland flooding, with high waters reported along U.S. Route 460 in Prince George County, U.S. Route 17, and several other roads. The rainfall led to river flooding, including minor to moderate flooding along the Rivanna and James Rivers, moderate flooding along the Appomattox River, and moderate to major flooding along the Meherrin, Nottoway, and Blackwater Rivers. In Isle of Wight County, a driver attempted to cross high water on the James River Bridge and was killed when the water washed the car off of the road.