Other wikis In Maryland and Washington, D.C., the effects of Hurricane Isabel were among the most damaging from a tropical cyclone in the respective metropolitan area.

After fluctuating in intensity for four days, Isabel gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) on September 18.

The worst of its effects came from its storm surge, which inundated areas along the coast and resulted in severe beach erosion.

On the Eastern Shore, hundreds of buildings were damaged or destroyed, primarily in Queen Anne's County from tidal flooding.

Thousands of houses were affected in Central Maryland, with severe storm surge flooding reported in Baltimore and Annapolis.

The most significant problems experienced during the evacuation were downed trees, inadequate signage, flooded roads, or stalled cars.

[7] In Washington, preparations began several days prior to the arrival of the hurricane, including placing sandbags in flood-prone areas.

[8] Most people in the district took shelter by the time the hurricane passed through the area, and the streets across the city were largely empty.

President George W. Bush along with Abdullah II of Jordan were evacuated from the city to the presidential retreat at Camp David.

The flooding also severely damaged eleven marinas, three restaurants, four hotels, one boatbuilding business, and one marine railway.

Swells from the hurricane produced high storm surges along the Western Shore which peaked at 8.2 feet (2.5 m) in Baltimore.

The United States Department of Agriculture estimated the winds of the hurricane destroyed 15–30% of the field corn and 10–15% of the soybean crop.

[18] The passage of Isabel resulted in an unusual increase in phytoplankton in the middle portion of the Chesapeake Bay, followed by an abrupt return to normal conditions by early October.

[15] Four-to-five-foot (1.2 to 1.5 m) waves hit the eastern portion of Calvert County, causing a home to be knocked off its foundation in North Beach.

[15] The storm surge produced higher than usual tides in along the Patuxent, Potomac, and Anacostia River coastlines.

Much of the shoreline of Prince George's County possessed adequate rise of terrain to prevent significant flooding.

[21] In Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, the storm surge surrounded many of the buildings at the United States Naval Academy, resulting in about $116 million in damage (equivalent to $192.1 million in 2023[14])[15] The Annapolis Maritime Museum suffered severe damage as well, though volunteers moved artifacts to a safer location.

There, the storm surge flooded the building in 6 feet (1.8 m) of water, causing great damage to the floor, drywall, and electricity.

Residential areas of Millers Island, Edgemere, North Point, Bowleys Quarters and Turners Station suffered severe damage from the hurricane, with over 400 people needing to be rescued.

[15] The storm surge flooded Fells Point and the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, causing millions of dollars of damage to waterfront properties.

Isabel destroyed 94 buildings and damaged 87, including 33 homes, six of which were severely impacted, with one losing a portion of its roof.

[23] In Washington, D.C., sustained winds remained below tropical storm force, though gusts reached 71 miles per hour (114 km/h) as recorded by the National Academy of Science.

[9] After the hurricane, several people in central and western Maryland were injured with three killed from carbon monoxide due to improperly running generators in their houses.

The Maryland Department of the Environment and the United States Environmental Protection Agency worked together to recover more than 50,000 US gallons (190,000 L) of oil from the tanks.

[25] On September 19, 2003, President George W. Bush declared the entire state of Maryland as a disaster area, which allowed residents affected by the hurricane to apply for federal aid.

[35] Around a month after the hurricane, officials placed some residents unable to live in their damaged homes into travel trailers because they had no options for alternate housing, such as staying with a relative or friend.

[36] On September 26, the affected residents began receiving housing assistance grants, totaling $4.3 million in aid.

[41] By eight days after the hurricane, the Department of Employment Services created disaster unemployment benefits for those who lost their work as a direct result of Isabel.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers delivered nearly 800,000 pounds (360,000 kg) of dry ice to four distribution sites for use with cold food storage to areas in the District suffering from power outages.

Various groups joined to provide more than 15,000 meals for residents who lost stored food due to spoilage resulting from the power outages.