Hurricane Watch Issued For Portions Of Florida's East Coast

From the Village of Palmetto Bay:

July 31, 2020

HURRICANE ISAIAS 11 AM ADVISORY:

HURRICANE WATCH ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA EAST COAST...SQUALLY WEATHER OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SPREADING INTO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS..

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...* Northwestern Bahamas including Andros Island, New Providence, Eleuthera, Abacos Islands, Berry Islands, Grand Bahamas Island, and Bimini* Southeastern Bahamas including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana, and the Ragged Islands * Central Bahamas, including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...* North of Deerfield Beach to the Volusia-Brevard County Line

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...* Turks and Caicos Islands* North of Ocean Reef northward to Sebastian Inlet* Lake Okeechobee

Interests elsewhere along the southeast coast of the United States should monitor the progress of Isaias. Additional watches or warnings may be required later today.

Tropical storm conditions will continue across portions of the Turks and Caicos this morning. Hurricane conditions in the southeastern Bahamas will spread northwestward into the central and northwestern Bahamas tonight and into Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area in Florida beginning Saturday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch area beginning Saturday night and continuing into Sunday.

For storm information specific to your area in the United States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office - www.weather.gov. For storm information specific to your area outside of the United States, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service.

At 11 a.m. EDT, the center of now Hurricane Isaias (pronounced "ees-ah-EE-ahs") was located about 295 miles (470 km) southeast of Nassau. It’s moving toward the northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h), and a general northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected for the day or so followed by a turn toward the north-northwest. On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will continue to move near or over the Southeastern Bahamas today. Isaias is forecast to be near the Central Bahamas tonight, and move near or over the Northwestern Bahamas Saturday and near the east coast of the Florida peninsula Saturday afternoon through Sunday.

Data from the reconnaissance aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km). Some strengthening is possible today and tonight, and Isaias is expected to remain a hurricane for the next few days.

A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds in the Bahamas.

Isaias is expected to produce the following rain accumulations:- Dominican Republic and northern Haiti: 4 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 12 inches.- Bahamas, Turks and Caicos: 4 to 8 inches.- Cuba: 1 to 2 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 4 inches. These rainfall amounts will lead to life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, as well as river flooding. Urban and small stream flooding is expected for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Hispaniola.

From Friday night through Monday:- South Florida into east-Central Florida: 2 to 4 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 6 inches. These rainfall amounts could result in isolated flash and urban flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas. Heavy rains associated with Isaias may begin to affect the eastern Carolinas by early next week. This rain could result in isolated flash and urban flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas, as well as isolated minor river flooding.

The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 5 p.m. EDT with an intermediate advisory at 2 p.m. EDT - www.hurricanes.gov

#TeamPB #PBalwaysworkingforyou #BeHurricaneReady #BePrepared #StayInformed

This press release was produced by the Village of Palmetto Bay. The views expressed here are the author’s own.