Sept. 18, 2003 – With Hurricane Isabel pounding the South Carolina coast and moving into southeastern Virginia on Thursday, all offices of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., were closed at noon upon recommendation of the congressional leadership, Delegate Donna M. Christian stated in a release circulated from her St. Croix office.
While the eventual impact of Isabel on Capitol Hill and the Washington metropolitan area remains to be seen, the release stated that Christian's office will reopen for business on Monday.
Meanwhile, those wishing to communicate with the delegate are asked to call either of her V.I. district offices — 774-4408 on St. Thomas and 778-5900 on St. Croix. Faxes may be sent to 774-8033 on St. Thomas and 778-5111 on St. Croix.
The 5 p.m. Thursday advisory from the National Weather Service placed Isabel's center inland about 40 miles east-southeast of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. It was moving toward the northwest at about 24 mph and was expected to turn to the north-northwest in the next 24 hours and move across eastern Virginia toward western Pennsylvania.
Maximum sustained winds had dropped to 90 mph from a high of about 160 mph over the open waters of the northern Caribbean, and the storm was expected to continue to weaken as it moves over land. Hurricane-force winds extended out 100 miles, and tropical-storm-force winds were being felt up to 345 miles away. The advisory noted that strong winds with gusts to hurricane force "may be experienced well inland to the elevated terrain of northern Virginia and Maryland, as well as on high-rise buildings and other structures."
The advisory warned of storm surge flooding 4 to 8 feet above normal tidal levels in Chesapeake Bay and also noted a threat of "isolated tornadoes over eastern North Carolina, eastern Virginia and southeastern Maryland through Thursday night.
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