Heavy Rain Likely For NJ As Hurricane Isaias Nears Florida

NEW JERSEY — As Florida braced for the impact of Hurricane Isaias, residents farther up the East Coast including New Jersey were being told to keep watching the projected path and to anticipate heavy rain as it moves north.

A hurricane warning was in place for parts of Florida Saturday morning, with the center of Isaias expected to move over the northwestern Bahamas in the morning and near the east coast of the Florida Saturday evening through Sunday.

The hurricane was moving northwest at 12 mph as of Saturday morning, a slowing from the 17 mph it was moving on Friday. That slowing has pushed back the potential arrival of impacts in New Jersey; the forecast cones published by the National Hurricane Center predict tropical storm-force winds arriving early Tuesday morning, along with rain later in the day.

Isaias was packing maximum sustained winds near 80 mph as of 11 a.m. Saturday with higher gusts, which represents a 10 mph increase from one point on Friday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center of Isaias, while tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

The 11 a.m. Saturday forecast cone showed Isaias possibly coming ashore in Florida just north of Miami late in the evening or early Sunday.

The National Hurricane Center continues to forecast possible impacts in New Jersey and the rest of the mid-Atlantic, including heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 6 inches.

"Heavy rainfall from Isaias could result in potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas," the National Hurricane Center said at 11 a.m. Saturday.

The hurricane also will stir up ocean swells and rip currents along the beaches well ahead of its potential arrival.

"These swells will spread along the east coast of Florida and the southeastern United States coast today," the National Hurricane Center said. "These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions."

New Jersey residents are urged to continue to monitor the storm's movements.

With reporting by Paul Scicchitano, Patch Staff

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