Hurricane Isabel could hit US east coast later this week: forecasters

MIAMI (AFP) Sep 14, 2003
High-powered Hurricane Isabel is on course to turn north later Sunday and hit the US east coast later in the week, but is likely to have weakened by then, forecasters said.

"It's not definite, but things are looking more ominous for the east coast," said Eric Blake of the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

The prediction was backed by Phil Klotzback, hurricane specialist of Colorado State University.

"I will be very surprised if this storm curves back out to sea," he said. "This likely will hit land somewhere on the east coast."

The specialists differed on where landfall might occur, with predictions covering a wide geographic area ranging from the southern state of Georgia to the New England region, north of New York.

Isabel, which has been churning steadily westward across the Atlantic Ocean for days, was located about 545 kilometers (340 miles) north of San Juan, Puerto Rico at 900 GMT Sunday, and traveling west-northwest at 20 kilometers (13 miles) per hour.

With winds clocked at 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour, Isabel was classified as a category five hurricane, the highest rating in the Saffir-Simpson storm rating system used by the US National Weather Service.

In its latest update the Hurricane Center warned of large ocean swells and dangerous surf conditions over portions of the Leeward Islands, The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the southeastern US coast over the next several days.

The US State Department on Friday authorized its non-essential diplomats to leave the Bahamas and warned US citizens against visiting the islands because of the damage that could be caused by Hurricane Isabel.

In addition, the department advised US citizens already in the Bahamas to consider leaving as the full-strength hurricane headed westward toward the central Antilles.

Category five hurricanes can cause extensive damage on land: rooves ripped from homes, small buildings blown over or away and shrubs, trees and signs blown down, according to the National Hurricane Center.

But NHC meteorologist Miles Lawrence said Isabel would likely lose intensity after moving north.

"First, its going to run into some cold water, and second, historically, we haven't seen hurricanes stay that strong for so long," he said.

TERRA.WIRE