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CNN Live Sunday
Hurricane Isabel Downgraded to Category 4
Aired September 14, 2003 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin on the east coast, which is keeping an anxious eye on the movements of the massive storm known as Hurricane Isabel. Current forecasts show the category four storm, I believe now it's been downgraded by five miles per hour, could hit the Carolinas sometime this week.
Right now, coastal residents in the region are taking no chances. Many are heading for lumber and building supply stores, preparing for the worst, in case it comes.
Going to go back to Rob Marciano, now, for the very latest on this.
Am I right, Rob? It's been downgraded to a four, right?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. Just five miles an hour, so right on the cusp. And bump it up one more mile an hour and it's back to a five. We're splitting hairs at this point. It is a major, major storm, and it will continue these fluctuations most likely over the next 24 hours, and then hopefully a decrease in intensity as it runs into a less favorable environment.
Let's talk about the track of this thing. It has headed off to the west from the east as did Fabian just a week ago. This thing is keeping a little bit farther to the south than Fabian. As it eventually draws up to the north, that means that folks across the eastern seaboard are going to be under the gun when this thing does exactly that.
Reason being, one of the reasons, at least, is that the westerlies are getting a little bit stronger, the jet stream, and that's going to help draw this thing into this area, and hopefully it'll begin to weaken just a little bit.
Five miles an hour weakening is not enough to really even discuss, but here's the location. It's 370 miles east/northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Winds 155, still moving to the west/northwest at 12 miles an hour, and could easily become a category 5 again as we go on through tonight or tomorrow morning.
Most importantly, though, for coastal residents, is the track of this thing. The forecast track from the National Hurricane Center does bring it towards the Carolina coastline not so much Wednesday, but in this area, obviously, on Wednesday. And if it's there on Wednesday, then obviously folks along the Carolina coastline and even up through New England are going to be under the gun here as far as this thing making landfall, Heidi, as we go on through Thursday, Friday, and maybe even into the weekend if - it's possible it just scoots the Carolina coastline and heads up toward New England. That's a possibility, as well, and we'll obviously watch it as we go on to the next couple days. That's the latest. Back to you.
COLLINS: All right, Rob, thanks so much. We'll check in later should things change again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 14, 2003 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin on the east coast, which is keeping an anxious eye on the movements of the massive storm known as Hurricane Isabel. Current forecasts show the category four storm, I believe now it's been downgraded by five miles per hour, could hit the Carolinas sometime this week.
Right now, coastal residents in the region are taking no chances. Many are heading for lumber and building supply stores, preparing for the worst, in case it comes.
Going to go back to Rob Marciano, now, for the very latest on this.
Am I right, Rob? It's been downgraded to a four, right?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. Just five miles an hour, so right on the cusp. And bump it up one more mile an hour and it's back to a five. We're splitting hairs at this point. It is a major, major storm, and it will continue these fluctuations most likely over the next 24 hours, and then hopefully a decrease in intensity as it runs into a less favorable environment.
Let's talk about the track of this thing. It has headed off to the west from the east as did Fabian just a week ago. This thing is keeping a little bit farther to the south than Fabian. As it eventually draws up to the north, that means that folks across the eastern seaboard are going to be under the gun when this thing does exactly that.
Reason being, one of the reasons, at least, is that the westerlies are getting a little bit stronger, the jet stream, and that's going to help draw this thing into this area, and hopefully it'll begin to weaken just a little bit.
Five miles an hour weakening is not enough to really even discuss, but here's the location. It's 370 miles east/northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Winds 155, still moving to the west/northwest at 12 miles an hour, and could easily become a category 5 again as we go on through tonight or tomorrow morning.
Most importantly, though, for coastal residents, is the track of this thing. The forecast track from the National Hurricane Center does bring it towards the Carolina coastline not so much Wednesday, but in this area, obviously, on Wednesday. And if it's there on Wednesday, then obviously folks along the Carolina coastline and even up through New England are going to be under the gun here as far as this thing making landfall, Heidi, as we go on through Thursday, Friday, and maybe even into the weekend if - it's possible it just scoots the Carolina coastline and heads up toward New England. That's a possibility, as well, and we'll obviously watch it as we go on to the next couple days. That's the latest. Back to you.
COLLINS: All right, Rob, thanks so much. We'll check in later should things change again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
