Finally, Isabel report...

[Anonymous]

Here's the link:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2003isabel.shtml?

Worst NC cane since 1954, and was upgraded to 165 mph, 915 MB instead of 160 mph, 920 MB.

Isabel became a category 5 THREE TIMES!!!!

[senorpepr]

Woo-hoo!!!

[cycloneye]

Being a cat 5 3 times is a first and interesting about being the most worse cane since Hazel.

[Anonymous]

So Izzy went from:

145 mph
155 mph
165 mph*
160 mph*
160 mph*
160 mph*
160 mph*
155 mph
150 mph <--- 5 DAY PERIOD
155 mph
160 mph*
155 mph
155 mph
155 mph
160 mph*
150 mph

WOW!!!

[wxman57]

Being a cat 5 3 times is a first and interesting about being the most worse cane since Hazel.

Well, it's not like Isabel went from a Cat 5 to a Cat 2 and back to Cat 5 three times. It was hovering between Cat 4 and Cat 5 for a while with the winds pulsing up and down just 5-10 kts (from 135kts to 145kts, with 136kts being Cat 5).

[Hurricanehink]

Well, sorry to be technical, but Hurricane Allen in 1980 became a category 5 3 times, too. Still, I am surprised it was a category 5 three times.

[senorpepr]

The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters made 39 center fixes during Isabel. The NOAA Hurricane Hunters made two formal center fixes and flew seven research missions into the storm. The highest winds measured by the aircraft were 158 kt (Air Force at 700 mb) and 157 kt (NOAA at 8400 ft) between 1700-1730 UTC 13 September. A 156-kt flight-level wind (700 mb) was also observed at 1719 UTC 12 September. Stronger winds were observed on eyewall dropsondes, with a maximum of 203 kt reported at 806 mb (4500 ft) at 1753 UTC 13 September. This is the strongest wind ever observed in an Atlantic hurricane, although it likely does not represent a 1-min average.

Hmmm.... wow. 233mph!!!

[Anonymous]

Cycloneye, and those in the islands got lucky. Isabel was forecast to move WNW, then back west. Then at the end of the forecast WSW. Nothing could have weakened it before it would have hit the islands. Infact, it may have hit San Juan as a category 5 storm, if the ridge would have sunk father south. Think how lucky you in the islands are. You might have had a season worse than 1995 if TD-6 (WOULD HAVE BEEN A HURRICANE), Fabian, and Isabel would have hit.

Of note... Isabel was a perfect example of what the NHC says as "Fluctuations could occur"......

[cycloneye]

Cycloneye, and those in the islands got lucky. Isabel was forecast to move WNW, then back west. Then at the end of the forecast WSW. Nothing could have weakened it before it would have hit the islands. Infact, it may have hit San Juan as a category 5 storm, if the ridge would have sunk father south. Think how lucky you in the islands are. You might have had a season worse than 1995 if TD-6 (WOULD HAVE BEEN A HURRICANE), Fabian, and Isabel would have hit.

Of note... Isabel was a perfect example of what the NHC says as "Fluctuations could occur"......

Puerto Rico Floydbuster has had many landfalls and also many misses as the historic data shows at the link below.

http://stormcarib.com/climatology/pr_isl.htm

Thankfully Isabel tracked NW for a good deal of time because I would not be typing this post nor I would not be at storm2k for a long time

[Derecho]

Cycloneye, and those in the islands got lucky. Isabel was forecast to move WNW, then back west. Then at the end of the forecast WSW. Nothing could have weakened it before it would have hit the islands.

To be frank, I don't quite have the foggiest idea of what you're talking about.

There never was any real drama or uncertainty about Isabel's track (though people certainly tried to create some at the time) and there certainly never was an actual human forecast of Isabel getting anywhere NEAR PR.

At no time was PR remotely threatened in any way by Isabel.