Several areas on the southeast coast of Florida were put on a tropical storm watch as Isaias is now anticipated to reach hurricane force winds.
The storm system shifted eastward in the Thursday evening update from the National Hurricane Center, with sustained winds expected to reach over 74 mph by Saturday morning, at which point it is expected to gain Category 1 hurricane strength. Heavy rains will potentially hit the northwest Bahamas and lead to flash and urban flooding in southeast Florida.
“It still needs to be stressed that there is a higher than usual amount of uncertainty in the intensity forecast,” forecasters said in the update.
The track and magnitude of the storm are still uncertain, but the National Hurricane Center reported in an earlier update that the strengthening storm system will bring heavy rain, mudslides, and other life-threatening weather conditions to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and other islands in the Caribbean.
Here are the 5 PM EDT 7/30 Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Isaias. Tropical Storm Watches issued for a portion of the southeast Florida coast. More info: https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/4ZqVMeONuq
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 30, 2020
The storm is moving northwest at 20 mph, with current sustained winds of 60 mph.
On Tuesday, one of Puerto Rico’s fragile electricity grids failed for unknown reasons, leaving more than 450,000 people without power. And on Wednesday, a transformer exploded in the capital of San Juan, leaving another 33,000 without power just hours before the storm was expected to hit. The United States territory’s power grid was pummeled by Hurricane Maria in 2017, leaving many people in darkness for months after the storm.
In preparation for the storm, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced it would close all coronavirus testing facilities from Friday until Tuesday as cases continue to spike in the state. In Florida, more than 460,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19, and over 6,500 have died from the virus, according to the Florida Department of Health.
