# Hold onto your butts Mid-Atlantic Dopers. Here comes Isabel!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594 "2003-09-14T17:53:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/41 "2003-09-15T18:03:00Z")
And it looks like Dave and Gingy moved out of Havre de Grace not a moment too soon. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/42 "2003-09-15T18:16:25Z")
I’ll be amazed if more than rain can get this high up. Astonished, even. But that’s us right under that line, you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/43 "2003-09-15T19:13:42Z")
My mom is scheduled to fly in Thursday afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/44 "2003-09-15T19:19:18Z")
My mom is scheduled to fly in Thursday afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/45 "2003-09-15T20:45:37Z")
‘scheduled’ is the key word, Opal. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*I’ll be amazed if more than rain can get this high up. > > Astonished, even. > > But that’s us right under that line, you’re right. \*\* Rain, yes. Quite possibly lots of rain. And while it may not be a very organized storm by the time it gets to you (assuming it does), it should still pack a lot of hurricane-force wind. Though it should have left the 100+ mph gusts behind by then. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/46 "2003-09-16T01:17:54Z")
the 'burbs around philly have henri flooding going on now. one can only imagine what can happen when isabel comes through. smart of mum to buy a house on a hill. from the line on [www.moreweather.com](http://www.moreweather.com) it looks like they think isabel is heading for harrisburg. hhhhhmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/47 "2003-09-16T01:52:04Z")
Peachy. I heard of Chester getting 6-8" of rain overnight, and the Brandywine Creek going over. Hopefully, **Airman Doors, MsRobyn** and I won’t be washed away! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/48 "2003-09-16T01:57:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > \*\*‘scheduled’ is the key word, Opal. > > Rain, yes. Quite possibly lots of rain. And while it may not be a very organized storm by the time it gets to you (assuming it does), it should still pack a lot of hurricane-force wind. Though it should have left the 100+ mph gusts behind by then. \*\* Hey, I’m willing to bet I’m one of very few Dopers to actually have experience throwing sandbags! Iowa City. 1993. Oops. Maybe I should volunteer. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/49 "2003-09-16T02:45:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rocking chair \* > \*\*the 'burbs around philly have henri flooding going on now. one can only imagine what can happen when isabel comes through. smart of mum to buy a house on a hill. > > from the line on [www.moreweather.com](http://www.moreweather.com) it looks like they think isabel is heading for harrisburg. hhhhhmmmmm. \*\* I did not need to hear that. Luckily, we live in the middle of a row of 100-year-old row homes. I think we’ll come through it okay, except for maybe some glass windows. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bee\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e480ec/32.png) [@Queen\_Bee\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bee_1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/50 "2003-09-16T03:36:20Z")
My twin sister lives in Virginia Beach, VA with her kids. I’m more than a little concerned at the moment as she’s planning on staying put. Hell, we had a little bitty tropical storm here in Houston in 2001 that decided to hang around a few days then come back for more and it knocked out the medical center. And that was just rain! ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/51 "2003-09-16T03:50:18Z")
My boyfriend is SCHEDULED to fly in to BWI on Friday. I hate everything. Also, I’m not even allowed CANDLES in my university-owned apartment. I guess it’s peanut butter for me! Well, that and hoping the electronic door locks let me in my building. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/52 "2003-09-16T12:00:42Z")
Yep, well, we just offered to put up my brother-in-law Mike and his dogs. Just last month he closed on a nice place… A big old house… Right on the water of the Chesapeake Bay… Just south of Annapolis. His lot stands about 3 feet above the waterline. Here’s hoping. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/53 "2003-09-16T12:08:54Z")
And remember, please be kind to the store clerks today… after all, they’ve been up all night marking up the price of bottled water and batteries. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/54 "2003-09-16T12:18:47Z")
Well, I’m convinced it’s not _all_ bad. I mean, sure, there’s going to be 200-kilometer-an-hour winds, and torrents of rain and two-by-fours stuck in trees, but I just got an email message from “Isabel” with the subject line “Add 3 inches in length guaranteed”! Looks like sunshine and clear sailing for me! 😃 (The wierd thing is, I’m not making this up.) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/55 "2003-09-16T12:23:48Z")
Mmmmm… I love the smell of nice weather in the morning… ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/56 "2003-09-16T12:26:33Z")
Oh bother. I just hope UMCP has the sense to cancel classes if it stays on track. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/57 "2003-09-16T13:16:47Z")
Well, the [current NOAA storm track prediction](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT13/refresh/AL1303W5+GIF/081203W5.gif) has Isabel angling across eastern NC and central VA to about the Shenendoah Valley, from the looks of it, before heading due north. Still time for it to change course somewhat, but the forecasts of its route haven’t changed substantially since Saturday morning. The good news is that it’s weakened from a 160-mph Cat 5 to a 115-mph Cat 3, and it’s still two days from landfall. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/58 "2003-09-16T13:30:48Z")
It’s now passing WEST of my place! ---
**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/59 "2003-09-16T16:07:15Z")
Tick tick tick tick . . . . ---
**Author:** ![AnnaLucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e95f7d/32.png) [@AnnaLucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnaLucretia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594/60 "2003-09-16T16:15:36Z")
Well, from what I undestand of meteorology (essentially just enough to spell it) - the Bad Thing would be if it comes up just a few miles further north before making landfall, thus encountering the warmer Gulf Stream and getting bigger again (due to some odd convection process that makes me think of George Foreman). They still aren’t saying that it definitively won’t do that, so I’m still telling my boss I’ll be out on Friday. Anybody with me? DuckDope? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hold-onto-your-butts-mid-atlantic-dopers-here-comes-isabel/201594.md?page=4)