Isaias Triangle updates: Strong wind gusts, several inches of rain expected
The far outer bands of rain from Tropical Storm Isaias reached the Triangle late Monday morning, but the heaviest rain and gusty winds aren’t expected in the region until after dark.
Isaias is now a hurricane, as of 8 p.m., and is expected to come ashore south of Wilmington late Monday before moving up the Interstate 95 corridor through North Carolina.
The heaviest rain will fall about 40 miles on either side of I-95, where 4 to 6 inches is expected, said Nick Petro, a meteorologist in the Raleigh office of the National Weather Service. Raleigh can expect 3 to 5 inches, while Durham and Chapel Hill will receive a bit less, according to the latest forecast.
Much of eastern North Carolina is under a tropical storm warning, including, as of 11 a.m., Wake, Franklin and Harnett counties. A warning means tropical storm force winds are expected within 36 hours.
The Triangle is also under a flash flood watch from 2 p.m. Monday to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Rain from Isaias could flood low-lying and poorly-drained areas and cause creeks and streams to rise quickly, according to the weather service.
And as that water runs off, forecasters say they expect the Neuse River to reach moderate flood levels at Clayton and Smithfield by Wednesday afternoon. The Neuse is expected to rise into Smithfield Town Commons Park and block U.S. 70 just west of the bridge, Petro said.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Neuse in Johnston County starting late Tuesday night.
Wind will be fiercest on the east side of the storm, closer to the coast, but gusts of 40 mph or more are possible in Wake County, according to the weather service. Widespread power outages are expected from the Triangle east across the coastal plain.
The storm will move quickly through North Carolina into Virginia by Tuesday morning, with the wind and rain dying down by 8 a.m., Petro said.
In anticipation of the hurricane making landfall, Wake County said Monday it would delay the openings of some facilities to give staff time to clean up debris.
Wake County parks and open spaces are set to open at 10 a.m. and solid waste facilities, including convenience centers and the South Wake Landfill will open at 9 a.m., a release from the county stated. The decision about whether to keep the libraries’ books on-the-go service will be made in the morning based on the locations of the libraries.
“The forecast currently shows limited impacts from Tropical Storm Isaias to Wake County, but we’re being proactive to make sure our facilities are ready to serve the public when they open tomorrow,” Wake County Manager David Ellis said in a news release. “In the meantime, residents should remain vigilant, monitor the storm and have a plan in place in case it becomes more severe overnight.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 11:25 AM.
