Hurricane Isabel's Rampage Recalled Through Stories, Photos

Meghan Evans
By , Meteorologist
September 22, 2012; 8:22 AM
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Hurricane Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane of the 2003 season, claiming lives and causing extensive damage and flooding across North Carolina and Virginia.

As a Category 2 storm, Isabel made landfall along the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Sept. 18, 2003. The storm killed 17 people and caused more than $3 billion in damage.

"Isabel is considered one of the most significant tropical cyclones to affect northeast North Carolina, east central Virginia, and the Chesapeake and Potomac regions since Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and the Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane of 1933," according to NOAA.

Storm surge of more than 8 feet resulted in flooding for all rivers that flowed into the Chesapeake Bay across Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C.

Stories, Pics and Videos of Hurricane Isabel's Rampage

Storified by Accu Weather · Tue, Sep 18 2012 10:47:09

This terrifying view of Hurricane Isabel's eye ...Facebook
"I was living in Colonial Beach, Virginia when it hit. We lost power for 4 days. Which convinced me to buy a generator. :-)"AccuWeather Facebook fan Eileen G.
Hurricane Isabel : Natural HazardsFrom his vantage point high above the earth in the International Space Station, Astronaut Ed Lu captured this broad view of Hurricane Isa...
"Oh, I remember that one very well.

Sept 18th, my birthday. We knew it was heading our general direction, Northern Va area, so we filled 2 large bath tubs with water, got the generator ready, etc. Did I mention my wife was due to give birth to our daughter on October 9th?

My mother called to wish me a happy birthday and just as I was thanking her I saw the bright flash, heard to buzz and a transformer exploded right up the road. There goes the power.

At the time we only had a few essentials running off the smaller generator we had so being on well and septic was a bit of a challenge. Trees were down all around our place and after spending a couple of days clearing them and helping others clear trees I managed to vacuum the first floor of the house so it would look somewhat presentable to a few of my neighbors who came over for the Redskin's game that Sunday.

It's all about priorities."AccuWeather Facebook fan Joe W.
Hurricane Isabel Time-Lapseicandothattoo2
Hurricane Isabel / Inlet Created @ Hatteras, NCgreenyland

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