Most impressive Mid-Atlantic tropical system of the last 20 years

[PrinceFrederickWx]

With hurricane season about to officially start, I thought I'd have a poll of the worst/most impressive Mid-Atlantic tropical cyclone of the last 20 years. I'm talking strictly weather conditions and impacts in the Mid-Atlantic region or "in your back yard", not North America as a whole. I kept this down to the ones I felt would get the most number of votes, but if there's another one I forgot, vote "other" and put it in the comments section.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

For me its a toss-up between Isabel and Irene. I haven't decided yet which to vote for.

[MN Transplant]

Has to be Isabel. 

 

I came in 2004 and was out of town for Irene, so of the remaining two I was more impressed with Lee than Sandy.

[Deck Pic]

Fran was a huge deal....Also Ivan....If you combine Frances/Ivan/Jeanne, that was a pretty big deal depending on where you lived

[mattie g]

In my backyard, it's the remnants of Lee, hands-down.  Nearly a foot of rain in one day, 7-8" of which came between something like 5pm to 9pm.  It was insane.

 

As neat as it was to experience it, I don't want to deal with such an aftermath again.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

Fran was a huge deal....Also Ivan....If you combine Frances/Ivan/Jeanne, that was a pretty big deal depending on where you lived

 

Fran 1996 was one I had considered putting on here even though I don't remember it having any impact at all where I lived; however, I hear it talked about a lot by people on this forum and elsewhere. Floyd was the first real tropical storm I ever remember in my lifetime around here (I was 17 at the time).

[ge0]

They were all mediocre imo.  Waiting for a modern day hazel.

[AvantHiatus]

They were all mediocre imo.  Waiting for a modern day hazel.

 

All joking aside, the worst of Sandy was north of the Mid-Atlantic. If going exclusively by wind speed, it was a high-end TS impact for most areas away from the coast. Highest gust here was 79 mph.

 

TS Lee was pretty interesting, probably up there with the June 2012 derecho for some locations.

 

[Eskimo Joe]

Sandy was the most unique, IMO.  Not only did she whack coastal section, NJ & NYC but the storm absolutely buried western Maryland and the Laurel Highlands of PA with upwards of three feet of snow and near blizzard conditions.  

[RIC_WX]

I vote Isabel. 95% of Richmond without power. Sunrise next morning looked like the day after. Isolated suburban locations without power for 30 days, outlying areas weeks more where the grid was rebuilt from the ground up rather than repaired. The eye remnants passed just west of the population area worst possible track. Nothing rivals this for maybe 50 years.

[Subtropics]

They were all mediocre imo.  Waiting for a modern day hazel.

 

This. I voted Isabel, but all have been underwhelming. I am patiently waiting for my Hazel redux. I hope we get our Hazel redux before CT Blizz get his 1938 redux. We are more due.

[StudentOfClimatology]

Most optimal for doomsdayers: Cat 4-5 over the Bahamas, picked up by a short axial trough, races into NC, passing just west of DC.

[Subtropics]

Most optimal for doomsdayers: Cat 4-5 over the Bahamas, picked up by a short axial trough, races into NC, passing just west of DC.

 

I've always wondered what an isabel like track, except 100 miles north, would do to the DC area. If the northwest track happened 100 miles north we'd have a cat 4 riding the 90 degree waters of the Chesapeake bay. 

[real]

I've always wondered what an isabel like track, except 100 miles north, would do to the DC area. If the northwest track happened 100 miles north we'd have a cat 4 riding the 90 degree waters of the Chesapeake bay. 

 

You don't have to wonder; there have been recent stories about what could happen.  The updated SLOSH modeling suggests an 18-to 20-foot storm surge at Baltimore Inner Harbor as a worst case scenerio.  That would likley be enough to send water all the way through Baltimore's "The Block" Red Light District and up to City Hall.  Fells Point would be destroyed. 

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.slosh30apr30,0,1356556.story

 

In Washington DC, the surge would be even higher at mouth of the tidal Potomac, perhaps high enough in a worst-case scenerio to threaten the 17th Street levee, sending water down Constitutional Avenue, as well as possibly flood Reagan National Airport and approach parking lot at the Pentagon.

[RickinBaltimore]

You don't have to wonder; there have been recent stories about what could happen.  The updated SLOSH modeling suggests an 18-to 20-foot storm surge at Baltimore Inner Harbor as a worst case scenerio.  That would likley be enough to send water all the way through Baltimore's "The Block" Red Light District and up to City Hall.  Fells Point would be destroyed. 

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.slosh30apr30,0,1356556.story

 

In Washington DC, the surge would be even higher at mouth of the tidal Potomac, perhaps high enough in a worst-case scenerio to threaten the 17th Street levee, sending water down Constitutional Avenue, as well as possibly flood Reagan National Airport and approach parking lot at the Pentagon.

 

Here is the worst case scenario, a Cat 4 hitting at high tide:

[Bob Chill]

I voted Isabel because of the track and bay flooding/damage.

I can't root for a worst case or even bad case scenario with a hurricane in these parts. Too much damage and disruption. It would take years to recover.

[PrinceFrederickWx]

Decided to go with Isabel. Both Irene and Isabel caused a lot of damage and disruption IMBY (and at my parent's house), but the overall impact in MD was probably worse with Isabel, so I went with that.

[eurojosh]

 

In Washington DC, the surge would be even higher at mouth of the tidal Potomac, perhaps high enough in a worst-case scenerio to threaten the 17th Street levee, sending water down Constitutional Avenue, as well as possibly flood Reagan National Airport and approach parking lot at the Pentagon.

 

Interesting - I'd never heard of the 17th st Levee, but it makes sense given the pre-mall topography of DC.  A quick google news search shows it to still be under construction as of last year - is there anything more recent?

[ThePhotoGuy]

At my location I am far enough above sea level that we don’t have storm surge issues and we also don’t have flooding issues.  I will try to rate it for my county as a whole. We didn’t have storm surge issues with Irene or Sandy. Isabel was really bad for Anne Aurndel County.  Communities like Bayside Beach in Pasadena and Shady Side were devastated with the surge.

 

Lee caused a lot of problems within the county.  Lots of major sinkholes and road damage. The county lost over a dozen police cruisers and a couple fire trucks do to going into flooding waters.

 

I would rate Isabel, Lee, then Irene/Sandy.

[Subtropics]

I can't root for a worst case or even bad case scenario with a hurricane in these parts. Too much damage and disruption. It would take years to recover.

 

Do you also not root for massive tornado outbreaks in our region? What about another derecho that is even worse than the last? I feel like as weather enthusiasts we root for extreme weather of all sorts. A significant hurricane event in our region falls under that, no?

[Bob Chill]

Do you also not root for massive tornado outbreaks in our region? What about another derecho that is even worse than the last? I feel like as weather enthusiasts we root for extreme weather of all sorts. A significant hurricane event in our region falls under that, no?

Major hurricanes are one thing I'll take a pass on. The scope and breadth causes too much disruption for too many people.

I'm indifferent towards tornadoes. They can be devastating like the one in LaPlata but the scope is so much smaller in comparison to hurricanes. The Derecho is an interesting case for broad destruction but it was mostly power lines and trees and the things that got in the way of them falling. A perfect track major hurricane would be immensely destructive to property and structures. Baltimore/Annapolis and even DC/Alexandria would suffer greatly. The disruption could last years. Not to mention I cherish the Bay for fishing/crabbing. The ecosystem would take a big hit. I guess I have an imaginary line.

[WEATHER53]

Rooting for a Category 4 around DC is for kids and adults that live and think like kids.

[AvantHiatus]

Rooting for a Category 4 around DC is for kids and adults that live and think like kids.

Depends on your insurance coverage. In the end I think most would prefer to live through such an event considering the return-period for major hurricanes in this region.

[EastCoast NPZ]

Sandy.  C'mon, how many tropical systems hit near Halloween and are accompanied by blizzard warnings? 

[yoda]

Sandy.  C'mon, how many tropical systems hit near Halloween and are accompanied by blizzard warnings? 

 

And pouring rain, 50mph wind gusts, and its in the low 40s outside?

[WVclimo]

I was in Bethesda for Isabel. Lost power just as the wind gust were reaching gale force. With no TV, internet, or access to radar it was a really worrisome feeling. Turns out that was the worst of it as the storm veered NW through Virginia. Power was out for 5 days.

Sandy was more intense here, with the storm riding the M/D line. Probably the best tropical storm conditions I have personally experienced.

[das]

For my backyard, TS Lee remnants.  For my neighborhood and the surrounding area, Isabel.

[Subtropics]

Rooting for a Category 4 around DC is for kids and adults that live and think like kids.

 

I literally could say the same about a Feb 5-6 2010 type snowstorm...

 

I find it hard to believe if we had a perfect track major heading for us the lot of you wouldn't be posting on this forum and appearing "excited."

[AvantHiatus]

I literally could say the same about a Feb 5-6 2010 type snowstorm...

 

I find it hard to believe if we had a perfect track major heading for us the lot of you wouldn't be posting on this forum and appearing "excited."

Speaking from personal experience, I was scared before and during Sandy. It's a different kind of excitement that I would not wish on anyone, more or less spacewalking without a cable. There is a reason why many people died and it was the 2nd costliest single weather event in record-keeping.

 

Category 4 would be like Sandy x3 or x2 depending on size and track.

 

OT, but it looks like we are overdue for "boring" weather.

[snowfan]

I literally could say the same about a Feb 5-6 2010 type snowstorm...

 

I find it hard to believe if we had a perfect track major heading for us the lot of you wouldn't be posting on this forum and appearing "excited."

That's a terrible comparison. A huge hurricane hitting this area in the 'right spot' would be so much worse than a big snow. Anyone rooting for catastrophic weather needs their head checked. And don't tell me about having insurance coverage. It's still a PITA.