Could this Isabel article be true...

[Anonymous]

If so... well take a look.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weathe ... -hurricane

[Stormsfury]

YIKES!

HOLY CRAP!

SF

[rainstorm]

there was alot of damage, but i think that is highly inflated, in order to get more money from the federal govt. if md had 5 billion in damage, va had 15 billion, and i dont see isabel as a 20 billion storm.

[Valkhorn]

I agree, somehow I think it'll be 5-10 billion max, more likely 3-5 billion

[BEER980]

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said Thompson's estimate was premature, noting his administration is still working to add up a figure that will include money lost by businesses that had to close during the storm.

Ok maybe I am way off here but why is that included? I can see actual damage to your business but loss of income? That kinda inflates the total damage of the storm giving a storm a much stronger status.

[SWV]

Well, it's a matter of prespective...as a Marylander
I think the loss of business revenue should be a consideration. The storm surge caused a huge amount of damage to the "tourist","family outing", night life areas. ie. The Inner Harbor (home of the National Aquarium, Children's Museum, mega restuarants, and hotels.)
Fells Point which caters in night life. And Annapolis
which is more of the same. These places count on the "entertainment dollars" and people where slow to return.

[msbee]

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said Thompson's estimate was premature, noting his administration is still working to add up a figure that will include money lost by businesses that had to close during the storm.

Ok maybe I am way off here but why is that included? I can see actual damage to your business but loss of income? That kinda inflates the total damage of the storm giving a storm a much stronger status.

having lived through months of major reconstruction after a CAT 4 sotrm, I can tell you that los of income from businesses is indeed a factor to be considered. that loss of business has a snowball effect.. businesses closed, staff laid off,people can't rebuild,no one has buying power,etc.,etc. Our tourist economy suffered for a year or more.. No one wanted to come because they feared everything was still destroyed., even after most of the hotels were back up and running. I don't know you actually calcualte all that loss , but I think the damage from these storms economically is astronomical.

[hurricanedude]

Me living in Va Beach, I can attest to that damage.....a lot of high-dollar homes in Tidewater/Hampton Roads area...

[Rainband]

"But it's pretty widespread damage," Thompson said. "From St. Mary's County, to Crisfield, up to Point of Rocks, we've got a lot of businesses that have been impacted, and obviously a lot of people."

. I think this says it all. I think the reason the damage is so high is because of the large area Isabel impacted. Think about people this storm impacted very populated areas..and the normal "small windfield" In most tropical systems was much broader. These things considered.. It makes comman sense to me

[ncweatherwizard]

I really think that counting loss from business is throwing damage figures out of perspective. There is a difference between damage--actual harm to the property itself--and loss of money--that's just tough luck; it happens. The storm was somewhat bad, but it wasn't that bad. And that's coming from someone whose home is having quarter the roof lifted off to repair real damage. Not trying to be indifferent to businesses, but let's get real.

[Rainband]

I really think that counting loss from business is throwing damage figures out of perspective. There is a difference between damage--actual harm to the property itself--and loss of money--that's just tough luck; it happens. The storm was somewhat bad, but it wasn't that bad. And that's coming from someone whose home is having quarter the roof lifted off to repair real damage. Not trying to be indifferent to businesses, but let's get real.

If those buisnesses can claim the loss of income due to isabel..then that affects the insurance companies claims and therefore it's added to the damage. Because alot of the damage is figured by claims from the insurance holders....Isn't that how it works??

[Lindaloo]

I am so saddened by the deaths of the sea turtle and the dolphin.

I was an insurance adjuster for 12 years. After seeing all the devastation and those poor people who lost everything helps me to remember why I got out of that line of work.

Like the one pic with the adjuster explaining the insureds policy and her losing 8000 dollars. It used to make me sick to my stomach. There are ways around those type policies. But, that adjuster only cared about saving the insurance company money, not about replacing what the poor lady lost.

Rainband... I would not put too much faith in the figures at this point.

[stormchazer]

I don't put much weight in the initial estimates. The numbers will firm up given time.

[Josephine96]

Numbers will of course also determine whether Isabel stays on the list for 2009 or goes. I think she'll be retired.

[JetMaxx]

I'm not sure about the 6 billion dollar figure for Maryland alone....but as large as this hurricane was, and the widespread area it affected with storm surge flooding...a final toll of over 10 billion will not surprise me.

IMO in the final analysis, Isabel will rank only behind hurricane Andrew on the "most expensive" list (damage-wise). Hugo is currently 2nd at 7 billion, and Hugo's storm surge struck an area much less populated than Tidewater Virginia/ Chesapeake Bay.

People are awed by the wind, but what kills most and causes most of the damage is the water from a hurricane.....Isabel is a prime example.

[Anonymous]

Totally true. Surge and flooding is why storms (IN THE RANGE OF FATALITIES) are retired.

[AussieMark]

True most of the deadly Hurricanes that have hit the US during the last century have mainly became infamous because of storm surge or inland flooding not necessarily the wind speed.

i.e
Galveston - 1900 (storm surge)
Lake Okeechobee - 1928 (inland flooding)
Rhode Island Express - 1938 (storm surge)

Carol - 1954 (storm surge)
Hazel - 1954 (inland flooding)
Connie/Diane - 1955 (inland flooding)
Audrey - 1957 (storm surge)
Donna - 1960 (storm surge)
Carla - 1961 (inland flooding)
Betsy - 1965 (storm surge)
Camille - 1969 (inland flooding)
Agnes - 1972 (inland flooding)

some of these may be wrong but in general storm surge and inland flooding are the big killers during Hurricanes.

[debbiet]

As someone who lives in coastal Virginia...those amounts don't surprise me in the least. I am still in awe of the destruction that Isabel brought with her...despite what is generally unimpressive wind force. The storm surge flooding was totally incredible...many, many homes/businesses destroyed. Here in Gloucester, VA we have 4 MOUNTAINS of storm debris at ONE collection site....appliances, furniture, mulch from downed trees etc...all of this stuff is mainly from a teeny little area on the York and Severn Rivers. I work in Williamsburg....travel the Colonial Parkway from Yorktown to Wmsbg which is probably 20 miles or so...the devastation is totally depressing. Huge old trees uprooted in bunches sometimes of 8-10 or more. Many homes in Wmsbg destroyed by trees...several friends of mine contended not with ONE tree...but some as many as 3-4 trees on their homes. One home in Wmsbg had 14 trees on it! All of the tree damage was from those piddly 50-60 mph sustained winds. So IMO folks can think whatever they will about at Cat 1-2 storm not being that bad...but I see proof every day that wind speed is only one factor...the path of the storm, the SIZE of the storm in area, the angle it approaches the coast and how much water it is pushing ahead of it...all of these must be considerations. I just thank God every day that she didn't actually strengthen before making landfall. I just can't imagine what we would have been dealing with then.

[ColdFront77]

Very true, Debbiet.

The track Hurricane Isabel took wasn't a "common" one, either.