Tropical Storm Isaias Predicted To Reach Southern Florida On Saturday

From the Village of Palmetto Bay:

July 30, 2020

At 8 a.m. AST, the center of Tropical Storm Isaias (pronounced "ees-ah-EE-ahs") was located over the Caribbean Sea about 125 miles (285 km) west of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and about 105 miles (175 km) east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It’s moving toward the northwest near 20 mph (31 km/h), and a west-northwestward to northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will move over Hispaniola later today and near the Southeastern Bahamas by tonight or early Friday. Isaias is forecast to be near the Central Bahamas Friday night and approach the Northwest Bahamas or southern Florida Friday night and Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 415 miles (665 km) from the center. Tropical-storm-force winds are occurring along the southern coast of Puerto Rico. A Weatherflow station in Yabucoa Tanque de Agua reported sustained winds of 46 mph (74 km/h) with a gust to 56 mph (91 km/h). A Weatherflow station at Las Mareas reported sustained winds of 43 mph (69 km/h) with a gust to 54 mph (87 km/h). Little change in strength is anticipated until landfall in Dominican Republic later today, with re-strengthening forecast on Friday and Saturday.

Isaias is expected to produce the following rain accumulations:- British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos: 3 to 6 inches.- Puerto Rico and northern Haiti: 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches.- Dominican Republic: 4 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 10 inches.- Bahamas: 4 to 8 inches.-Cuba: 2 to 4 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 6 inches. These rainfall amounts will lead to life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, as well as potential riverine flooding beginning today. Urban and small stream flooding is expected for the U.S. Virgin Islands, eastern Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola.

The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 11 a.m. AST - www.hurricanes.gov

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