Isabel 2003

    My home sits approximately 8 feet above sea level. 30 feet beyond my front porch the yard drops off 5 feet into a marsh, and 75 yards beyond that is the Bay. The water in these pictures is 8 feet above flood stage, and the wind was blowing between 60 & 80 miles per hour. The lowest part of my home missed flooding by around 2mm during Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. Thankfully, the forecasted 15-20 inches of rain never came. My pier was completely covered, pile tops included, for 10 hours. My well flooded, the metal shed almost floated away & I was glad I made the decision to make my shop foundation & floor out of treated lumber. I couldn't exit the house without getting into water over my ankles for at least 6 hours & power was out for 5 days. So much debris was left in the streets and yards that it took dump trucks, backhoes & work crews 2 weeks to clear it all out.

	Matthew's swingset in the front yard		From the front porch

	Standing on the porch rail looking South		Sitting on the step landing QTF South

	The side yard & sheds

	Roof-eye view

	3 days later, up the road from my house. We cleared the roads of the marsh debris by hand.

All images copyright � 2003 David H. Craig. Images from this webpage may not be reproduced, whether in whole or in part, by any means or in any form without express written permission.