Hurricane Isabel (2003)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

September 6, 2003 to September 20, 2003

Peak strength

Category 5, 145 kt (167 mph)

Lowest pressure

915 mb (27.02 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

63.3

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

300 nmi (556 km, 345 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

20 nmi (37 km, 23 mi)

Overall size

300 nmi (556 km, 345 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Fastest the center moved

43 kt (49 mph)

Identifier

AL132003

Radar at KMHX as it neared land, Sep 18, 17:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

15 (15 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

247

Property damage

$1.9 billion

Crop damage

$38 million

Events recorded

334 in 51 reports from 12 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

110 tropical storm, 86 high wind, 65 hurricane (typhoon), 23 storm surge/tide, 20 flood, 11 high surf, 8 flash flood, 8 heavy rain, 2 strong wind, 1 rip current.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 3,052 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 20.20 inches (513 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Tourist drowned when caught in rip current at an unguarded beach. Rough surf from Hurricane Isabel was developing and the Jacksonville surf forecast indicated a "moderate risk of rip currents" for the day with increasing surf later in the week. Nassau County Beach Patrol reported 6 rescues due to rip currents.

Nassau, Florida · Rip Current · Sep 13, 21:00 UTC

High Surf and long period swell from Hurricane Isabel. General breakers of 7 to 10 feet reported with occasional 12 to 15 foot sets. Flagler Beach Pier was closed with boards broken off in the seaward section as waves broke over the end of the pier. The pier was reported to be "wobbling" when it was closed.

Flagler, Florida · High Surf · Sep 15, 20:30 UTC

The eye of category 3 Hurricane Isabel made landfall between Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras NC during the afternoon. The fringe of Isabel's circulation caused offshore winds gusting near 60 mph along the beaches of Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties. Damage was minimal, mainly to scattered tree limbs and some roof shingles. Beach erosion damaged a roadway on Bald Head Island, Brunswick County.

Pender, North Carolina · Tropical Storm · Sep 18, 13:00 UTC

Water was 2 feet deep across Route 29 near Job and Whitmer. The nearby observer at Glady measured a 24 hour rain total of 3.1 inches. Along the Randolph and Tucker County border, portions of the stream bank along Red Creek were damaged. Future high water would threaten the few dwellings.

Randolph, West Virginia · Flash Flood · Sep 19, 06:15 UTC

Remnants of Hurricane Isabel dumped nearly 4 inches of rain on the headwaters of the Cheat River. At Rowlesburg, the Cheat River rose from 4 ft at 630 AM EDT on the 19th to flood stage, which is 16 ft, at Noon. It crested at 16.8 ft at 1 PM EDT, and fell below flood stage by 5 PM EDT. Numerous small streams and roads were flooded in Preston and Tucker County in WV, as well as Garrett County MD.

Preston, West Virginia · Flood · Sep 19, 16:00 UTC

• Tropical Storm AnaNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm50 kt · 994 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Tropical Storm BillNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm50 kt · 997 mb
• Hurricane ClaudetteNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 180 kt · 979 mb
• Hurricane DannyNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 165 kt · 1000 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1010 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1016 mb
• Hurricane ErikaNorth Atlantic · 2003 · 2 deaths · $12,000Cat 165 kt · 986 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane FabianNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 4125 kt · 939 mb
• Tropical Storm GraceNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm35 kt · 1007 mb
• Tropical Storm HenriNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm50 kt · 997 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Depression30 kt · 1007 mb
• Hurricane JuanNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 290 kt · 969 mb
• Hurricane KateNorth Atlantic · 2003Cat 3110 kt · 952 mb
• Tropical Storm LarryNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm55 kt · 993 mb
• Tropical Storm MindyNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm40 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm NicholasNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm60 kt · 990 mb
• Tropical Storm OdetteNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm55 kt · 993 mb
• Tropical Storm PeterNorth Atlantic · 2003Tropical Storm60 kt · 990 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Isabel