Hurricane Isaias becomes ‘better organized’ with NC in its path. Here’s the latest
Hurricane Isaias is expected to lash North Carolina with rain, wind and rough surf as it makes its way up the East Coast.
Isaias was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane overnight Thursday but is expected to drop back down to a tropical storm by the time it leaves the Florida coastline and makes its way north, according to the National Hurricane Center’s forecast cone.
Gov. Roy Cooper issued a state of emergency Friday afternoon during a 4 p.m. press briefing.
“A hurricane during a pandemic is double trouble, but the state has been carefully preparing for this scenario so we can do our best to keep people safe from the weather, as well as the virus,” Cooper said.
Isaias could bring tropical storm-force winds to Eastern North Carolina as early as Monday morning, according to the forecast. The storm was “getting better organized” as of Friday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.
The National Weather Service said beaches could pose risks starting this weekend. High surf and dangerous rip currents could stretch from Friday afternoon into next week, officials said.
A high risk of hazardous conditions stretches roughly from North Topsail Beach to Frisco, where people are warned to avoid getting in the ocean.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall “could result in isolated flash and urban flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas,” the National Hurricane Center said Friday evening.
“Minor river flooding” is also possible in eastern North Carolina with an estimated two to four inches of rain expected across the state, according to the hurricane center’s 5 p.m. forecast.
One model from the National Hurricane Center shows Isaias making landfall Monday near Morehead City, North Carolina, according to the S.C. State Climate Office.
But “considerable uncertainty” remains for the North Carolina coast, according to the Wilmington office of the National Weather Service.
”One thing we do have going for us with this storm as of now is it should be a fast mover as it gets up here,” Erik Heden with the National Weather Service said Friday in a video. “So hopefully that will keep those threats lower than what we saw with something like (Hurricane) Florence that was here for such a long period of time.”
Florence dumped up to 30 inches of rain in Eastern North Carolina in 2018, causing devastating floods throughout the region.
Evacuation ordered
On Friday, Hyde County, home to part of the Outer Banks, declared a state of emergency. A mandatory evacuation was ordered for Ocracoke Island, which experienced serious flooding from Hurricane Dorian last September, officials said in a news release.
Also along the coast, Cape Lookout National Seashore said it plans to close at 3 p.m. Saturday. The park will reopen when Isaias passes, officials say.
To the north, Dare County is encouraging visitors to pay attention to weather updates and advised them to “consider delaying arrival until after the storm has passed.”
People living on the North Carolina coast are encouraged to have evacuation plans and emergency kits with hand sanitizer, face masks and other supplies to help protect against the coronavirus, officials said Friday. Mike Sprayberry, state director of emergency management, said coastal residents should consider inland accommodations.
“Staying at a shelter will not be a good primary option during the pandemic,” Sprayberry said Thursday at a news conference. “If you live in a safe place inland, offer to let family or friends evacuate to your home.”
In the event of potential flooding, emergency officials urge people with interests in Eastern North Carolina to find their evacuation zones at knowyourzone.nc.gov.
Where is the storm now?
On Friday evening, Isaias packed 75 mph sustained winds and was forecast to bring dangerous storm surge as it moved a few hundred miles southeast of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. It was making its way northwest at 15 mph with hurricane-force winds extending 35 miles.
“Strengthening is expected later tonight and early Saturday, and Isaias is forecast to remain a hurricane for the next couple of days,” forecasters said Friday.
Forecasters initially thought Isaias would become a Category 2 hurricane (sustained winds of 96-110 mph) but now expect it to weaken below hurricane strength as it leaves the Florida peninsula, strengthening some “before passing over eastern North Carolina on day 4.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 8:01 AM.
