Hurricane Isabel Now a Category 4 Storm

While Fabian has departed, his sister Isabel now poses a new threat. Currently located in the mid-Atlantic, about 875 miles (1410 kms) East-Northeast of the Leeward Islands, Isabel is a category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of around 135 mph (215 kph).

According to the National Hurricane Service the storm is moving “toward the West-Northwest near 14 mph (22 kmh),” but “a turn to the west is expected during the next 24 hours.” That would set it on a collision course with any of a number of Caribbean islands, and possibly the U.S. mainland.

The NHS described Isabel as a “dangerous category four hurricane,” and predicted that there would be little change in its strength durng the next 24 hours.

The storm, however, is a good deal smaller than Fabian, with hurricane force winds extending up to 45 miles (75 kms) from the center, while Fabian’s spread over 115 miles (185 kms).

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Hurricane