 Strong winds from Isabel extended from North Carolina to New England and westward to West Virginia . The winds , combined with previous rainfall which moistened the soil , downed many trees and power lines across its path , leaving about 6 million electricity customers without power at some point . Parts of coastal Virginia , especially in the Hampton Roads and Northeast North Carolina areas , were without electricity for almost a month . Coastal areas suffered from waves and its powerful storm surge , with areas in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia reporting severe damage from both winds and the storm surge . Throughout its path , Isabel resulted in $ 3 @.@ 6 billion in damage ( 2003 USD , $ 4 @.@ 63 billion 2016 USD ) and 51 deaths , of which 16 were directly related to the storm 's effects . 
