Hurricane Isaias Expected To Strengthen As Moves Toward NYC

NEW YORK CITY — Tropical Storm Isaias strengthened into a hurricane as it churned across the Caribbean early Friday, with it's path taking it towards Florida and then up the East Coast.

New York City is now potentially in its sights, forecasters said.

It became a category 1 storm Friday as it threatened torrential rains and potentially life-threatening flooding in the Dominican Islands, Haiti and the Bahamas. It's expected to reach Florida early Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Hunter aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration located the center of Isaias, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center of Isaias while tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 205 miles.

"Isaias is moving toward the northwest near 17 mph .... and a generally northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected for the next couple of days followed by a turn toward the north-northwest," the National Hurricane Center said at 8 a.m. Friday. "

Weather forecasters said Isaias will be near or over the Bahamas on Friday night and near or over Florida on Saturday and Sunday. The hope is that the storm will stay to the east of the U.S. coast, but the cone of its possible path includes New York City.

The fast-moving storm now threatens portions of the Sunshine State, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.

The effects would be felt in the city Monday night into Tuesday morning.

National Hurricane Center

A tropical storm watch remained in effect for the east coast of Florida. The affected area includes Ocean Reef to Sebastian Inlet and Lake Okeechobee, which includes South Florida.

"While we can't be certain of the exact track of the storm, and we certainly can't be sure about the intensity it will ultimately reach, we do expect to see impacts to the state of Florida even if the storm remains off our shore which is the current forecast," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Floridians Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center said additional watches or warnings may be issued Friday.

In Miami-Dade County, which is considered to be the epicenter of Florida's coronavirus outbreak, Emergency Management Director Frank Rollason said officials will take special precautions if evacuations are ordered.

"They'll be screened, asked if they have any particular signs or symptoms," he said. "Their temperature will be taken. If they present to us with a particular problem, or if they have been co-habitating with somebody that is positive and has that exposure, we will isolate them away from general population in the evacuation center by utilizing school classrooms."

Florida state officials shut down all state-supported drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing sites at 5 p.m. Thursday ahead of the possible arrival of Isaias.

With Paul Scicchitano/Patch.