Isabel Summary from Wakefield, VA

[Stormsfury]

NOUS41 KAKQ 261338
PNSAKQ

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
936 AM EDT FRI SEP 26 2003

A STORM DAMAGE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED NEAR CLAREMONT...IN NORTHWEST
SURRY COUNTY...ON THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2003 FOR THE DAMAGE FROM
HURRICANE ISABEL THAT OCCURRED ON 18 SEPTEMBER 2003. SEVERAL
COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY ON THE JAMES RIVER
WERE VIRTUALLY DESTROYED. MORE THAN 50 HOMES IN CLAREMONT AND 100
MOBILE HOMES IN SUNKEN MEADOW HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OR WERE TOTALLY
DESTROYED.

THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT COMBINED TO PRODUCE THE DAMAGE. THE
FIRST WAS THE STRONG WINDS WITH ISABEL AND THE FETCH OVER THE JAMES
RIVER. WIND GUSTS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 80 AND 90 MPH FROM
THE NORTHEAST AND EAST. WINDS FROM THIS DIRECTION HAVE A NEARLY 15
MILE FETCH OVER THE JAMES RIVER. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT WIND
DAMAGE...INCLUDING NUMEROUS LARGE TREES THAT WERE UPROOTED. THERE
WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO SOME METAL ROOFS WHICH WERE PEELED BACK BY THE
WIND.

THE SECOND FACTOR THAT CAUSED DAMAGE WAS THE STORM SURGE. THE SURGE
WAS ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 6 AND 8 FEET. CLAREMONT HAD A PREDICTED
HIGH TIDE OF 1.9 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER (MLLW) AT 7:08 PM
ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2003. THE HIGH TIDE COMBINED WITH THE STORM
SURGE BROUGHT WATER LEVELS TO BETWEEN 8 AND 10 FEET ABOVE MLLW. THE
LOCAL GEOGRAPHY COMBINED TO MAXIMIZE BOTH THE WINDS AND THE SURGE.
IN NORTHWEST SURRY COUNTY...THE RIVER CONSTRICTS AND MAKES A TURN
MORE TO THE NORTHWEST. BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRICTION AND SHARP
TURN...WATER BEING PUSHED UPRIVER BY THE SURGE WOULD FIRST PILE UP
IN THE CLAREMONT AREA. THE AREA ALSO HAS SOME BLUFFS THAT ARE A
APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS INLAND OF THE BEACH AREA. THESE BLUFFS WOULD
ALSO HELP TO FOCUS THE WINDS ON THE BEACH AREA...AS WINDS COMING OFF
THE WATER ARE TYPICALLY STRONGER BECAUSE OF A LACK OF FRICTIONAL
DRAG. BOTH WIND AND WATER WERE CHANNELED INTO THE AREA AND COMBINED
TO CREATE THE DAMAGE.

$$
ALS