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American Morning
Hurricane Isabel Barreling Toward Mid-Atlantic Coast
Aired September 16, 2003 - 07:37 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to Hurricane Isabel, barreling toward the Mid-Atlantic coast right now. Where it ends or where it lands and when, we do not know right now. But most people are trying to figure out a way to get out of the storm's way. But for those who chase the hurricane, this is an opportunity this week not to be missed.
Jeff Flock in North Carolina with the story now of one team that is heading into that storm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now what am I looking at here? What's this spinning affair up here?
MARK SUDDUTH: We have an anemometer.
FLOCK (voice-over): An anemometer rated to 225 miles an hour, instruments that measure dew point, barometric pressure, keep track of maximum gusts, a roof mounted video camera, search lights, everything you need to get into the eye of a hurricane.
(on camera): You've got to go through the eye wall to get into the eye?
SUDDUTH: Right. Right.
FLOCK: But at least this one is not a category five anymore.
SUDDUTH (voice-over): Not that it matters to Mark Sudduth and his hurricane intercept research team. They've been chasing hurricanes for the better part of the last decade. We first met him in a dark hotel room on the Carolina coast, firing up his portable radars to track Dennis.
SUDDUTH: We got it.
FLOCK (on camera): So the worst of the storm is going to be right here where we're looking?
SUDDUTH: In the right front quadrant.
FLOCK (voice-over): The quest for Isabel will take him and us to the Outer Banks.
SUDDUTH: So what we're going to want to do is stay ahead of that and not get stuck out here. FLOCK (on camera): Because if you get stuck out here...
SUDDUTH: You could be out there for a week.
FLOCK: How can we be certain we're going to be able to get out before it gets us?
SUDDUTH: Keeping an eye on the radar and the satellite.
FLOCK (voice-over): Sudduth explains how he can track the storm with a wireless radar hookup and get us close to trouble, but not in it.
(on camera): Do you get scared doing this?
SUDDUTH: A little bit. Last year during Lily scared me because we were in an unfamiliar area.
FLOCK (voice-over): That was the Louisiana Bayou.
SUDDUTH: Man, this is like one of the worst roads I've ever driven on.
FLOCK: Isabel is his biggest prey so far.
(on camera): What is it about the power of this thing that draws you?
SUDDUTH: If you're going to really understand a storm, whether it be a thunderstorm or a tornado or a blizzard or a hurricane, you have to get in close to it to understand it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLOCK: And, Bill, Soledad, a lot more understanding to come here over the course of the next couple of days.
We're live now the hurricane intercept research team. Mark Sudduth at the controls.
SUDDUTH: Hey.
FLOCK: You've just got the latest satellite loop there, right?
SUDDUTH: Right.
FLOCK: Right live here in your truck.
SUDDUTH: Infrared satellite picture.
FLOCK: What's that telling you?
SUDDUTH: Well, it's telling me, first of all, it certainly doesn't look like it did a couple of days ago. But it might be trying to wrap in.
FLOCK: It's still strong.
SUDDUTH: Yes, it's still strong. And look at this, trying to wrap in again here, some deep convection there. It's got a long way to go as it tracks up here. Here's where we are, right up here in North Carolina at Wrightsville Beach.
FLOCK: And we're headed today now Outer Banks right?
SUDDUTH: That's right, we're headed up to the Buckston area of the Outer Banks near Cape Hatteras.
FLOCK: So, Bill, we'll be on the Outer Banks by this time tomorrow and we'll see what it looks like then.
This is quite a vehicle.
SUDDUTH: Yes, well, it's a sturdy vehicle. We've got, certainly we have the weight this time to sustain what's coming and we'll just have to make sure we be careful, don't we?
FLOCK: Mark Sudduth, I appreciate it.
We'll be spinning it with him and riding it out, Bill. So stick with us, we'll see.
HEMMER: And who knows what will be 24 hours from now?
But we'll all see you then.
Thanks, Jeff.
Be safe out there.
FLOCK: You've got it.
HEMMER: We'll see you again tomorrow at about this time.
SUDDUTH: Thank you, sir.
HEMMER: Jeff Flock in Wrightsville -- Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, you can't emphasize that enough, be careful you guys.
Well, they are preparing for Isabel in New England, moving boats and packing up coastal towns, where people are very familiar with the wrath of Atlantic storms. A
Another check now of Isabel and the forecast.
Chad Myers at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Chad, good morning again.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
The eye now beginning to reemerge. We're actually seeing a nice rotation around the back side of this. We had a lot of sheer overnight. It kind of tore the storm apart, blew a lot of the convection off to the east. But now we're seeing it back on the west side again. I'll zoom in a little bit better here for you.
It lost the eye overnight. It's lost it again. And then right about there in the middle, I think we're going to wrap this thing around and probably make a storm out of it again yet, 115 miles per hour right now. Expecting land fall between Cape Hatteras and probably Cape Lookout, somewhere right through here, Atlantic Beach, maybe even a little bit to the east, and then driving itself flat on up into Richmond and then into Washington, D.C., maybe as close as Baltimore.
He's a picture of Baltimore. I don't see anybody getting ready there, but it's kind of a wide shot. You can see that Baltimore Ravens stadium there on the right, Inner Harbor, nice shot, from WBAL, our affiliate there in Baltimore.
We will have some decent weather across much of the country today for flying, unlike yesterday, where we had delays across the Northeast two and three hours long. The only problem we have are the tropics and unless you're flying somewhere to Europe or to Africa, all of your travels should be in pretty good shape today. If you're keeping track, there are the numbers there on Isabel, 26-6-70.7 -- Soledad, back to you.
O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thanks.
And, again, that's travel today, not necessarily tomorrow or on Thursday. But we'll continue to check in with you,
Thanks, Chad.
You can track Isabel on our Web site and get some tips, also, on how to prepare for a hurricane. The address is cnn.com/weather.
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 16, 2003 - 07:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to Hurricane Isabel, barreling toward the Mid-Atlantic coast right now. Where it ends or where it lands and when, we do not know right now. But most people are trying to figure out a way to get out of the storm's way. But for those who chase the hurricane, this is an opportunity this week not to be missed.
Jeff Flock in North Carolina with the story now of one team that is heading into that storm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now what am I looking at here? What's this spinning affair up here?
MARK SUDDUTH: We have an anemometer.
FLOCK (voice-over): An anemometer rated to 225 miles an hour, instruments that measure dew point, barometric pressure, keep track of maximum gusts, a roof mounted video camera, search lights, everything you need to get into the eye of a hurricane.
(on camera): You've got to go through the eye wall to get into the eye?
SUDDUTH: Right. Right.
FLOCK: But at least this one is not a category five anymore.
SUDDUTH (voice-over): Not that it matters to Mark Sudduth and his hurricane intercept research team. They've been chasing hurricanes for the better part of the last decade. We first met him in a dark hotel room on the Carolina coast, firing up his portable radars to track Dennis.
SUDDUTH: We got it.
FLOCK (on camera): So the worst of the storm is going to be right here where we're looking?
SUDDUTH: In the right front quadrant.
FLOCK (voice-over): The quest for Isabel will take him and us to the Outer Banks.
SUDDUTH: So what we're going to want to do is stay ahead of that and not get stuck out here. FLOCK (on camera): Because if you get stuck out here...
SUDDUTH: You could be out there for a week.
FLOCK: How can we be certain we're going to be able to get out before it gets us?
SUDDUTH: Keeping an eye on the radar and the satellite.
FLOCK (voice-over): Sudduth explains how he can track the storm with a wireless radar hookup and get us close to trouble, but not in it.
(on camera): Do you get scared doing this?
SUDDUTH: A little bit. Last year during Lily scared me because we were in an unfamiliar area.
FLOCK (voice-over): That was the Louisiana Bayou.
SUDDUTH: Man, this is like one of the worst roads I've ever driven on.
FLOCK: Isabel is his biggest prey so far.
(on camera): What is it about the power of this thing that draws you?
SUDDUTH: If you're going to really understand a storm, whether it be a thunderstorm or a tornado or a blizzard or a hurricane, you have to get in close to it to understand it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLOCK: And, Bill, Soledad, a lot more understanding to come here over the course of the next couple of days.
We're live now the hurricane intercept research team. Mark Sudduth at the controls.
SUDDUTH: Hey.
FLOCK: You've just got the latest satellite loop there, right?
SUDDUTH: Right.
FLOCK: Right live here in your truck.
SUDDUTH: Infrared satellite picture.
FLOCK: What's that telling you?
SUDDUTH: Well, it's telling me, first of all, it certainly doesn't look like it did a couple of days ago. But it might be trying to wrap in.
FLOCK: It's still strong.
SUDDUTH: Yes, it's still strong. And look at this, trying to wrap in again here, some deep convection there. It's got a long way to go as it tracks up here. Here's where we are, right up here in North Carolina at Wrightsville Beach.
FLOCK: And we're headed today now Outer Banks right?
SUDDUTH: That's right, we're headed up to the Buckston area of the Outer Banks near Cape Hatteras.
FLOCK: So, Bill, we'll be on the Outer Banks by this time tomorrow and we'll see what it looks like then.
This is quite a vehicle.
SUDDUTH: Yes, well, it's a sturdy vehicle. We've got, certainly we have the weight this time to sustain what's coming and we'll just have to make sure we be careful, don't we?
FLOCK: Mark Sudduth, I appreciate it.
We'll be spinning it with him and riding it out, Bill. So stick with us, we'll see.
HEMMER: And who knows what will be 24 hours from now?
But we'll all see you then.
Thanks, Jeff.
Be safe out there.
FLOCK: You've got it.
HEMMER: We'll see you again tomorrow at about this time.
SUDDUTH: Thank you, sir.
HEMMER: Jeff Flock in Wrightsville -- Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, you can't emphasize that enough, be careful you guys.
Well, they are preparing for Isabel in New England, moving boats and packing up coastal towns, where people are very familiar with the wrath of Atlantic storms. A
Another check now of Isabel and the forecast.
Chad Myers at the CNN Center for us -- hey, Chad, good morning again.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
The eye now beginning to reemerge. We're actually seeing a nice rotation around the back side of this. We had a lot of sheer overnight. It kind of tore the storm apart, blew a lot of the convection off to the east. But now we're seeing it back on the west side again. I'll zoom in a little bit better here for you.
It lost the eye overnight. It's lost it again. And then right about there in the middle, I think we're going to wrap this thing around and probably make a storm out of it again yet, 115 miles per hour right now. Expecting land fall between Cape Hatteras and probably Cape Lookout, somewhere right through here, Atlantic Beach, maybe even a little bit to the east, and then driving itself flat on up into Richmond and then into Washington, D.C., maybe as close as Baltimore.
He's a picture of Baltimore. I don't see anybody getting ready there, but it's kind of a wide shot. You can see that Baltimore Ravens stadium there on the right, Inner Harbor, nice shot, from WBAL, our affiliate there in Baltimore.
We will have some decent weather across much of the country today for flying, unlike yesterday, where we had delays across the Northeast two and three hours long. The only problem we have are the tropics and unless you're flying somewhere to Europe or to Africa, all of your travels should be in pretty good shape today. If you're keeping track, there are the numbers there on Isabel, 26-6-70.7 -- Soledad, back to you.
O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thanks.
And, again, that's travel today, not necessarily tomorrow or on Thursday. But we'll continue to check in with you,
Thanks, Chad.
You can track Isabel on our Web site and get some tips, also, on how to prepare for a hurricane. The address is cnn.com/weather.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
