Tropical Storm Isaias Expected To Graze Georgia At Midday Monday

UPDATE: Coastal Georgia is under a tropical storm warning, with Isaias expected to hit around midday Monday with wind gusts onshore of up to 50 mph. Some minor to moderate coastal flooding is also expected.

According to WSAV-TV in Savannah, maximum sustained winds at Isaias's center — located 90 miles east-southeast of Brunswick, Georgia, at 2 p.m. — were 75 mph, with gusts of up to 85 mph. The center is 90 miles east-southeast of Brunswick, Georgia. Some strengthening may occur before making landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The storm remains lopsided with the heaviest rain and strongest winds on the eastern side.

Meanwhile, Isaias is "passing well offshore the northeast Florida Coast," according to the National Weather Service office in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Savannah Morning News reports one casualty of the anticipated storm: the Coastal Health District will suspend COVID-19 testing on Monday.

Other anticipated closings are Fort Pulaski and The Talmadge Bridge on U.S. 17.

UPDATE: A tropical storm watch — not a warning — was issued for Camden and Glynn counties in southeast Georgia. A watch means that conditions are ripe for a tropical storm.

UPDATE: A hurricane warning has been issued for parts of south Florida ahead of Isaias. Hurricane warnings are typically issued 48 hours before storm-force wind is anticipated.

UPDATE: Gov. Brian Kemp and other state officials issued a statement late Friday urging "vigilance" in the face of Hurricane Isaias.

"Right now, the probability of coastal Georgia experiencing anything more than minor impacts continues to be low, although any significant westward shift in the track forecast would increase those chances," Kemp said in the statement. "Trends in the forecast track should continue to be monitored, but confidence in the forecast is increasing."

According to the statement, Isaias is expected to cause dangerous rip currents, sustained winds up to 25 mph, and up to two inches of rain.

original Patch story

GEORGIA — Hurricane Isaias is expected to graze coastal Georgia late Sunday or Monday, bringing with it flooding, beach erosion and dangerous rip currents.

Friday morning’s bulletin from the National Weather Service predicted that Isaias, upgraded to Category 1 on Thursday, will produce “a variety of hazards, especially along the coast and over the coastal waters.”

The Chatham Emergency Management Agency tweeted Friday at 9 a.m. that Hurricane Isaias was about 730 miles southeast of Savannah.

In preparation, nearby Tybee Island already has announced on its website that it will close its beaches to swimmers starting Sunday “as conditions dictate.”

“We anticipate mild TS (tropical storm) force wind & rain associated with the bands passing through the area,” Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions wrote. “Dangerous surf and beach erosion is likely.”

Isaias already has left its mark as a tropical storm, passing over the Dominican Republic Thursday and leaving 300,000 to 400,000 Puerto Ricans without power, according to CNN.

When it hits Florida, Isaias will present another problem: It may not allow evacuees to stay 6 feet apart from each other as the state continues to be pummeled by the coronavirus.

"Look, if we have a major hurricane here, then we're going to have to evacuate a number of people, and then we're going to have to ... try to keep them separated as much as possible," Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez said to CNN. "That's a concern."

This is the ninth named storm of the 2020 hurricane season, which began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. So far, 2020 has tied the record for most July storms.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency maintains an informational website with tips on storm preparedness before, during and after a hurricane.

Related: Hurricane Isaias Expected To Strengthen, U.S. East Coast In Path

This is a developing story. Patch.com will post updates as they become available.