Storm history › Atlantic › 2003 season
Hurricane Isabel (2003)
Isabel was a Category 5 hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic season. It was tracked from September 6, 2003 to September 20, 2003, about 14 days, and covered 4,430 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 915 mb.
It made landfall once, near Harkers Island, United States.
Its closest pass to a major city was 26 miles from London, Canada.
- Peak wind
- 165 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 915 mb
- Strongest
- Category 5 hurricane
- Landfalls
- 1
- Duration
- 14 days
- Track length
- 4,430 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 63.3
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Landfalls
| # | Date (UTC) | Near | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 18, 2003 | Harkers Island, United States | 105 mph (165 km/h) |
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| London, Canada | 26 mi (42 km) |
| Hamilton, Canada | 46 mi (73 km) |
| Brampton, Canada | 54 mi (86 km) |
| Mississauga, Canada | 58 mi (94 km) |
| Toronto, Canada | 72 mi (116 km) |
| Raleigh, United States | 79 mi (128 km) |
| Virginia Beach, United States | 85 mi (137 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 21st highest of 2,017 Atlantic storms on record, tied with Hurricane Beryl (2024), Hurricane Lee (2023), Hurricane Matthew (2016) and 2 more.
- Lowest pressure: 20th lowest of 1,294 Atlantic storms with a recorded pressure.
- Energy: 36% of the 2003 Atlantic season's ACE.