Hurricane Isabel
Four years after Hurricane Floyd, to the day, we were hit by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. By the time the hurricane crossed North Carolina and Virginia, it had lost much of its punch, and the rainfall was dramatically less than its potential. As a result, our home was spared any appreciable damage. We were prepared for the worst, but were relieved to find everything intact the next day. However, the hurricane did cause much damage in our county, as it did throughout the region, with wind damage causing power outages that lasted several days. Our hometown was devastated by the tidal surge on the Chesapeake Bay at high tide the following morning. The city dock and the Lighthouse grounds were completely flooded, and the Promenade boardwalk was reduced to floating piles of splintered lumber.