Hurricane damage. Personal belongings piled up during the clean up following Hurricane Isabel. Hurricane Isabel hit the east coast of the USA on 18th September 2003, with the strongest winds centred on North Carolina. Hurricane Isabel was classified as a category 5 hurricane, the strongest type, a few days before it hit the coast. Although the hurricane had weakened by the time it reached land, its winds were still constant at over 160 kilometres per hour. Photographed in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA on 22nd September, 2003.