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Tropical Storm Isaias Expected To Make Landfall As A Hurricane In Carolinas

August 3rd, 2020

A person looks out as waves kicked up by the Tropical Storm Isaias crash along the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier on August 02, 2020 in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The storm is brushing along the east coast of Florida and tropical storm conditions will extend northward along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Updated at 5:38 p.m. ET

The National Hurricane Center is warning residents of the Carolinas to brace for the effects of Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in northeastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina by Monday evening.

The storm is expected to linger in North Carolina on Monday, traveling inland through the night before swirling up the Mid-Atlantic coast and into the northeastern United States on Tuesday night.

“Heavy rainfall along the East Coast, near the path of Isaias, will result in flash and urban flooding, some of which may be significant in the eastern Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Wednesday. Widespread minor to moderate river flooding is possible across portions of the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic. Quick-responding rivers in Northeast will also be susceptible to minor river flooding,” the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. ET storm update.

The center warned that tornadoes are also possible over the coastal Carolinas through Tuesday evening and through eastern Virginia and New England on Tuesday as well.

The storm has already affected parts of Florida, having grazed the east coast of the state as a tropical storm on Sunday, dumping some 2 to 4 inches of rain and knocking out power for a few hundred customers, according to the Miami Herald.

Officials are warning of a potentially more severe outcome in some parts of North and South Carolina, particularly in the stretch from the South Santee River in South Carolina to Surf City, N.C., a region that’s under a hurricane warning.

Areas spanning from the coastal waters of Georgia up to the Virginia coast could see several feet of storm surge as the storm progresses.

Further complicating matters is the coronavirus pandemic. In crowded storm shelters, it may be difficult to maintain social distancing to prevent the virus’s spread.

In a Sunday tweet, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper acknowledged the complications of managing both a pandemic and a tropical storm at the same time.

“Our state has weathered more than our fair share of storms,” he said. “We know how to plan, prepare & respond when it’s over. Nothing about that has changed. But this time, we’re gonna do it with a mask on. Helping your neighbors & loved ones is even more important as this storm approaches.”