Hurricane  Isabel

Monday we got the luggage rack out of storage and started preparing the cars to evacuate.  Tuesday September 16, 2003 was spent putting up the hurricane shutters.  Two days before this has been a category 5 storm and we were taking it very seriously.  We thought we were ready.  However, the stress of a real hurricane showed the weaknesses in our plan.  Time moved fast and the stress was greater than I imagined it would be.  Wednesday we got up but could not see outside because all the windows were covered with metal shutters.  We took 2 cars and 2 cats and headed for Concord to ride out the storm in the comfort of Mother's house.  The cats did better than I expected.

 

 

Thursday we watched to Weather Channel more than usual.  It looked like our island was spared most of the storm damage.  Friday we returned home and were relived to find no real damage from the storm.  However, just 20 miles down east the flooding was very severe.  Below are some pictures from our local newspaper.

 

 

 

 

 

September 18, 2003  http://www.CarteretNewsTimes.com

   

In South River damage was extensive. Most homes had several feet of water inside.

(Nikki Phillips photo)

 

The residents of this South River home dragged all their belongings into the yard in an effort to dry out the house.

(Nikki Phillips photo)

Breakers come over the bulkheads of waterfront homes in Morehead City Thursday.

(Lisa Taylor photo)
 This Morehead City pier is on the verge of being inundated by the storm surge. 

(Lisa Taylor photo)

 

A Jeep carrying red Cross volunteers splashes through Highway 70 east of Beaufort. 

(Lisa Taylor photo)

Many vehicles, lawn tractors and other outdoor furnishings were flooded in Hurricane Isabel's storm surge.

(Lisa Taylor photo)

This family makes its way through floodwater over Turner Street in Beaufort. The storm knocked three boats from their moorings in Town Creek and they washed ashore next to the street.

(Scott Taylor photo)

During high tide Thursday, Front Street homes got a little closer to the water than usual. The water came across the road but receded quickly.

(Amanda Dagnino photo)

Mitch Kernodle and Brent Creelman take care of one of the Friends of the Maritime Museum's boats that pulled anchor Thursday afternoon in Town Creek.

(Scott Taylor photo)
Bogue Banks beaches fared better than expected, and beach erosion was minimal as the eye of Hurricane Isabel passed further to the east.

(Neil Brooks photo)

 

  
A lone man makes his way to the end of the Oceanana Fishing Pier in Atlantic Beach after Hurricane Isabel made landfall to the east Thursday afternoon and her powerful Category 2 winds shifted to the south.  

(Lisa Taylor photo)

The drivers of this pickup truck, with several kids in the back, takes a joy ride down to the sunken docks in front of Clayton Fulcher Seafood Company in Atlantic after Hurricane Isabel makes its pass. 

(Dennis Thomason photo)
A gas tank from an old Texaco station that used to be at the Drum Inlet Seafood Inc. marina in Atlantic broke loose from high tide flood waters and makes its way across Highway 70 as the eye of Hurricane Isabel passes over. 

(Dennis Thomason photo)

Two kids in Atlantic try to get their stalled four-wheeler started after Hurricane Isabel passes, leaving behind the worst flood waters that longtime residents could remember, including the storm of 1933. 

(Dennis Thomason photo)
Beaufort's Texaco station on the east side of the Grayden Paul Bridge suffered heavy damage Thursday morning as Hurricane Isabel came on shore.

  (Courtney Dagnino photo)

Jerry Coates of Morehead City enjoys the surf at Oceanana Pier, Atlantic Beach, the day before Hurricane Isabel hit.

(Lisa Taylor photo)

 

 

All photos copyright 2003 Carteret Publishing Co.

Down east cleanup photos

 This home on Belangia Road in the Adams Creek area was completely destroyed by Hurricane Isabel.

(Josie Mullins photo)
Vida Fulcher of Stacy stands in front of her household belongings that were destroyed by Hurricane Isabel. She’s holding a military book that contains a picture of her deceased husband.

 (Cheryl Burke photo)

Clyde Styron of Cedar Island stacks up personal belongings he’s trying to salvage from the devastation. 

(Cheryl Burke photo)
Rachel Salter of Stacy tends to a bird feeder while she is dwarfed by mounds of personal belongings sitting in her front yard that were lost. 

(Cheryl Burke photo)

Brooks Stalnaker of Belangia Road in the Adams Creek area of Craven County stands in front of a heap of rubble that used to be his house.  

(Josie Mullins photo)
Marsha Tosto of South River is exhausted after clearing belongings from her house that were lost to flooding during Hurricane Isabel. 

(Cheryl Burke photo)

Kathy Fulcher, right, of Stacy talks with neighbor Scott Littleton while neighbor Daniel Lester shovels debris.

(Cheryl Burke photo)
Michael Taylor of South River lifts up a case of donated bottled water with coaching from Zach Barnes.

(Cheryl Burke photo)

Edward Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in South River is among many county churches to suffer damage.

(Cheryl Burke photo)

Shaun Culbertson, assistant pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Newport , tears out the floor of a house in Stacy that was destroyed by floodwaters. 

(Cheryl Burke photo)

   

All photos copyright 2003 Carteret Publishing Co.