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Storm Events Database
Event Details:
| Event | Tropical Storm |
| State | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |
| County/Area | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |
| WFO | LWX |
| Report Source | NEWSPAPER |
| NCEI Data Source | PDS |
| Begin Date | 2003-09-18 15:00 EST |
| End Date | 2003-09-19 09:00 EST |
| Deaths Direct/Indirect | 0/0 (fatality details below, when available...) |
| Injuries Direct/Indirect | 0/0 |
| Property Damage | 125M |
| Crop Damage | |
| Episode Narrative | Hurricane Isabel shut down Washington, DC on Thursday September 18 and Friday September 19. The city had days of preparation and many people including non-emergency government personnel were told to stay home. Tropical storm force winds spread north into the area by 4 pm. Because air temperatures were cool (in the 60s) and the peak of the storm occurred near midnight, the real hurricane force winds were a few hundred feet up. Wind sensors on building tops recorded 70 to 85 mph hour winds. At the surface, winds were about half of that, but occasional strong gusts would mix down from above and damage trees and power lines. Winds began to subside falling below tropical storm by 4 am after the storm's passage west of the city, but remained gusty through the morning. Over 700 trees were blown down in the city with 23 falling on homes. The U.S. National Arboretum lost many mature trees. During the peak of the storm up to 129,000 customers lost power. As the storm's winds peaked near midnight with wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph from a more southerly direction, Isabel's storm surge began. Flooding began around midnight as water pushed up both the Potomac and the Anacostia Rivers. The surge crested around 5 am and receded below flood stage around 10 am with the southerly winds dying off. All flooding was tidal related since only two inches of rain fell across the district during the storm. The NWS gauge at Wisconsin Avenue measured 11.3 feet (MLW) at 5:15 am. This was 0.2 feet higher than the reading during the 1933 hurricane (however, sea level has risen since 1933 by at least this much). The NOS gauge at the pier in SW DC recorded a peak surge of 10.25 feet (MLLW) or 8.7 feet MSL at around 5 am. This was also higher than the 1933 storm. This makes Isabel the record tidal flood at these locations, but downstream freshwater flooding has caused higher river levels at each of these points. While sandbagging and other preparations mitigated against a lot of potential damage, damages were still high. At Naval District Washington along the Anacostia, marinas were damaged and cars left in low area garages were flooded. Some buildings were flooded. Coast Guard Headquarters had water come into several levels of the building causing serious damage. Other marinas water front properties and parks were damaged and had a lot of debris and cleanup to do. The U.S National Arboretum lost many of its 12,000 azaleas located along the bank of the Anacostia. Five people were rescued from cars in flood waters during the storm. Park Police had to close the roads around the tidal basin, the mall, and near Rock Creek. Total damages for the District are estimated to combine damages to private and public property which in this case includes a lot of federal property and National Park land. |
All events for this episode:
| Location | County/Zone | St. | Date | Time | T.Z. | Type | Mag | Dth | Inj | PrD | CrD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals: | 0 | 0 | 125.000M | 0.00K | |||||||
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (ZO... | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (ZO... | DC | 09/18/2003 | 15:00 | EST | Tropical Storm | 0 | 0 | 125.000M | 0.00K | |
| Totals: | 0 | 0 | 125.000M | 0.00K |
