Isaias Heads Toward NC, Could Regain Hurricane Strength

NORTH CAROLINA — Having been downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday, Isaias has continued its churn toward Florida and the greater east coast. Current forecast models predict the storm will again reach hurricane strength before making landfall.

According to the National Weather Service, forecast models are still vague on where exactly the hurricane will make landfall. Still, the storm is expected to make its way up the coast and into North Carolina by Tuesday morning.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday issued a state of emergency, unlocking access to extra resources should the storm cause damage in the Tar Heel State.

"With the right protection and sheltering, we can keep people safe from the storm while at the same time trying to avoid making the pandemic worse," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday on Twitter. "A hurricane during a pandemic is double trouble. But the state has been carefully preparing for this scenario."

Evacuations

• Brunswick — Renters, vacationers and guests were required to evacuate Holden Beach by 7 p.m. Saturday
• Brunswick —Renters, vacationers and guests were required to evacuate Ocean Isle Beach at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
• Dare — A mandatory evacuation for Hatteras Island visitors took effect at 12 p.m. on Saturday. A mandatory evacuation order for the island's residents and property owners will begin at 6 a.m. on Sunday. This area falls under Evacuation Zone A, which covers the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras Village.
• Hyde — Visitors and residents of Ocracoke Island were required to evacuate as of 12 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, respectively.
• Keep up with real time evacuation orders through the ReadyNC website.

Warnings and Watches

A hurricane warning has been issued for some areas in Florida, and a tropical storm watch extends to the South Santee River in South Carolina. Currently, neither watches nor warnings have been issued for North Carolina.

The weather service said residents across the Atlantic coast of the U.S. should remain vigilant of Isaias' progress as additional warnings and watches could be issued Sunday.

The weather service predicts significant rainfall is possible in the Carolinas, including in the southern and central Appalachians. Between 2 and 5 inches of rain is expected in most areas, but isolated rainfall totals of up to 7 inches are possible.

Residents are urged to stay aware of flooded rivers as well as flash floods in urban areas.

In Florida, National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said he anticipates the worst effects of the storm were likely to be felt along Florida's Space Coast area, which refers to the area around the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

"We need to look at this as a large area that approaches the Florida coast," Graham said in an interview with WPLG-TV in Miami. "South Florida, we're going to be on the periphery. You're going to get some tropical-storm-force winds possible. If it approaches a little closer, some more of those winds could get stretched inland but to the north, the Space Coast, that's where we're going to see ... some of the biggest impacts in that part of Florida."

Forecasters said Isaias may drop back to strong tropical storm Monday as it leaves Florida's northeastern shores.

Current models predict the storm will arrive in North Carolina between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Related: Hurricane Isaias Downgraded But Expected To Strengthen Again

Patch editor Mark Hand contributed to this report.