Overall, the NWS service to the nation during Isabel was exemplary. Emergency management from the local county and city level to the highest officials in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the media, and the citizens of the communities affected by Isabel recognized and appreciated the outstanding work by the NWS. While Isabel was a Category 2 hurricane and was decreasing in intensity as it crossed the North Carolina coast on September 18, it caused tremendous damage and disruption, felled thousands of trees resulting in massive power outages, and caused unusually high storm surge along the Mid-Atlantic coast.
