Hurricane Isabel

HURRICANE ISABEL

We turned back and found a place facing southwest toward Nelson Bay (right near the Sea Level Inn):

	We were just slightly to the southeast of the Sea Level Inn, with the car facing southwest toward Nelson Bay. The Sea Level Firehouse was located right across the street from where we parked, and there were people there during the hurricane.
	This should give you an idea of where Sea Level is relative to where our hotel (Havelock) was. Atlantic (not Atlantic Beach!) is located just east of Sea Level, at the end of US-70.

We parked in a spot where we weren't likely to have things fall on us, or blow into the car. It also SEEMED like we wouldn't get big storm surge as the hurricane came in, since the wind was from the North or Northeast. This would have tended to blow the water out toward the Atlantic Ocean. However, the water NORTH of the peninsula on which Sea Level/Atlantic are located is actually much broader, so the water was rising due water piling up from Pamlico Sound, north of us.

Anyway, we enjoyed the lovely weather and looked out into the bay, venturing out of the car from time to time and coming back completely soaked. We talked to Doug at 11:15 and he told us that we were just getting into the eyewall.

	A not-so-clear view from the car into Nelson Bay.
	A photo of where my car sat for the first hour and a half or so. The water on the grass is rainwater.
	Even in the eyewall of a hurricane, sometimes nature calls.
	The white fence is just to the left of where I parked. This photo is taken in the eyewall of the hurricane (before the eye reached us). If you look closely you can see the streaks of rain, more horizontal than vertical.
	A tree in front of us and to our left. It got torn apart pretty well in the eyewall.
	Jeff getting knocked around by the wind and rain.
	More fun in the eyewall. Cool jacket there Jeff... oh yeah that's mine.
	Another photo out into the bay. If you look at the photo of my car above, you can see that the water is rising. Somehow that fact escaped us for a while that morning.
	A pier off to our right, near the Sea Level Inn. Most of the pier was destroyed during the hurricane, and the roof of the gazebo washed up to the Inn.
	Self pics are always fun. I blame the funny expression on the wind. By the way, NO it wasn't sunny out... I just figured that rain at 100 mph might not feel too good when it hits ones eyes.
	Trying to stand during the eyewall.
	Getting blown around quite a bit... the wind creates some odd shapes on the body.
	The first time I went out in the rain I was out for no longer than 30 seconds, and I was soaked when I got back in the car.

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