Hurricane Isaias
Hurricane Isaias is an active tropical storm that struck Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, and is currently impacting The Bahamas and the East Coast of the United States. The ninth tropical storm and second hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Isaias originated from a tropical wave off the coast of Africa that was first tracked by the National Hurricane Center on July 23, 2020. The tropical wave gradually became more organized, obtaining gale-force winds on July 28, before organizing into Tropical Storm Isaias on July 30. Isaias marked the earliest ninth named storm on record, surpassing 2005's Hurricane Irene by eight days. Isaias strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on the next day.
Numerous tropical storm watches and warnings as well as hurricane watches and hurricane warnings were issued for the Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida. Isaias caused devastating flooding and wind damage in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Several towns were left without electricity nor drinking water in Puerto Rico, which prompted a disaster declaration by President Donald Trump. In the Dominican Republic, two people were killed by wind damage. A woman was killed in Puerto Rico after being swept away in flood waters.
Meteorological history
The National Hurricane Center first began tracking a vigorous tropical wave off the west coast of Africa on July 23. The wave gradually organized and became better defined, developing a broad area of low pressure. Though the circulation was broad and disorganized, convection continued to increase over the system, and the system obtained gale-force winds on July 28. Although the system still lacked a well-defined center, its tropical-storm-force winds and imminent threat of tropical cyclonegenesis to land areas prompted its designation as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine at 15:00 UTC on July 28. The system moved just south of Dominica on July 29, and at 03:00 UTC on the following day, the system organized sufficiently to become a tropical cyclone. Due to its precursor disturbance already having gale-force winds, it was immediately declared a tropical storm and given the name Isaias. When Tropical Storm Isaias formed, it became the earliest ninth named storm on record, breaking the record of Hurricane Irene in 2005 by eight days. Isaias continued strengthening after reaching tropical storm status, with one-minute sustained winds reaching on July 30 as it made landfall on the southern coastline of the Dominican Republic. Contrary to predictions by meteorologists, the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola did not weaken the storm, as the system had a broad circulation and developed a new low-pressure center to the north of the island, thus maintaining its intensity.Early the next day, hurricane hunters unexpectedly found that Isaias strengthened, reaching its initial peak intensity as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of and a pressure of 990 mbar. Moderate to strong southwesterly wind shear and dry air entrainment began affecting the storm a few hours later, resulting in the low-level center being exposed near the western edge of the convection. After a brief weakening trend, Isaias began to intensify again, with deep convection firing over the exposed center and an eye feature forming on Bahamian radar. Later that evening, data from another hurricane hunter reconnaissance aircraft confirmed a closed eyewall and a lower minimal central pressure of 987 mbar. The storm strengthened afterwards to obtain its second peak intensity with winds of despite a somewhat ragged appearance. At 15:00 UTC on August 1, Isaias made landfall on Northern Andros Island, Bahamas at a slightly weaker. Land interaction along with the continued effects of wind shear and dry air continued to weaken the system, and it dropped below hurricane strength at 21:00 UTC as its center became completely devoid of convection, although a large burst of convection formed over the center shortly after it moved back over water.
Current storm information
As of 11:00 a.m. EDT August 2, Tropical Storm Isaias is located within 20 nautical miles of, about 55 miles southeast of Fort Pierce, Florida, and about 120 miles south-southeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Maximum sustained winds are, with gusts up to. The minimum barometric pressure is, and the system is moving northwest at.For the latest official information, see:
- The NHC's
- The NHC's
- The NHC's
Watches and warnings
Preparations
Greater and Lesser Antilles
Numerous tropical storm, hurricane, and storm surge watches and warnings were issued for areas in the path of Isaias. The first tropical storm watches and warnings were posted for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Leeward Islands, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti when the system was designated Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine.The Bahamas
With the system approaching and strengthening, hurricane warnings were posted for The Northwestern Bahamas at 00:00 UTC on July 31. The sudden upgrade to hurricane status caused all of the warnings in the Bahamas to change to under hurricane warnings at 03:40 UTC.People living on Abaco and Grand Bahama islands were evacuated before the storm. Many of the citizens were still living in temporary structures due to damage caused by Hurricane Dorian a year ago in 2019. Many of the structures were weak and could be easily destroyed by tropical storm and hurricane-force winds. The meteorology department of the Bahamas advised citizens to "hunker down." The government of the Bahamas lifted the COVID-19 lockdown instituted for controlling the virus before the storm so people could freely travel to safer places. Shelters were opened on larger islands in the island chain, with people on smaller, less populated, islands needing to travel to reach a shelter. Bahamas Power and Light shut off electricity to areas at high risk of flooding on New Providence, the most populous island in the Bahamas, until it was safe to re-energize.
United States
Tropical storm watches were first initiated in Southeast Florida at 21:00 UTC on July 30 with more watches and warnings going up as the storm got closer.In anticipation of the storm, the state of Florida closed COVID-19 testing sites on July 30 due to potential impacts from Isaias. The next day, Florida governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for the eastern coast of Florida ahead of Isaias.
On July 31, North Carolina governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm. A mandatory evacuation of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, was issued that same day.
Impacts
Caribbean
Most of the Caribbean islands were suffering from moderate to severe drought conditions from an unusually dry spring and early summer. The drought was particularly severe in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with the governor of Puerto Rico declaring a state of emergency in late June and ordering rationing of water, subjecting residents in affected areas to 24-hour water shutoffs every other day. Heavy rain from Isaias and its precursor disturbance alleviated drought in many areas of the Caribbean.Lesser Antilles
The precursor to Isaias brought squally conditions to the Windward Islands. Rainfall peaked at in the town of Salisbury, on the island of Dominica.| 1 | 800–850 | 31–33 | Erika 2015 | Morne Diablotins | |
| 2 | 579.1 | 22.80 | Maria 2017 | Copthall | |
| 3 | 422.3 | 16.63 | Jeanne 2004 | ||
| 4 | 246.4 | 9.70 | Edith 1963 | ||
| 5 | 215.9 | 8.50 | David 1979 | Roseau | |
| 6 | 150.1 | 5.91 | Abby 1960 | ||
| 7 | 79.5 | 3.13 | Isaias 2020 | Salisbury | |
| 8 | 20.6 | 0.81 | Flora 1963 | Roseau |
Greater Antilles
In Puerto Rico, about 448,000 customers and 23 hospitals lost power and about 150,000 customers lost water service due to electric blackouts and blocked intakes. The entire town of Yauco had no power, and all roads leading to the town were either flooded or blocked by fallen trees. Many surrounding towns in eastern Puerto Rico also had no drinking water nor electricity from a lack of access to the areas of damage. Three gates on the Carraízo reservoir dam in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, were opened because of runoff from Isaias. A woman was dragged by an river in Rincón, Puerto Rico while she was crossing a bridge due to heavy rain; she was found dead two days later. Due to the extensive damage, President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration request from Puerto Rico's governor Wanda Vázquez Garced.One person was killed in El Seibo Province, in the Dominican Republic, when a power line fell on his horse a few feet away from him, killing him and the animal. A 5-year-old boy was also killed when a tree fell and crushed his home in Altamira in Puerto Plata province. Widespread flooding was reported in Hato Mayor del Rey, a town of 70,000 inhabitants.