#Hurricane Isaias: NYC braces for strong rain, winds

Despite being downgraded from hurricane status, Isaias is still packing strong winds and is expected to dump 1 to 2 inches of rain across the region, with widespread flash floods possible, AccuWeather meteorologist Mike Doll told The Post.

“The worst of it will hit the city beginning around noon and will last until about 5 p.m.,” he said, adding that sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected — with gusts of up to 60 mph possible.

Flash flood watches and wind advisories are in effect for most of the area. A tornado watch also is in effect across the tri-state area, he added.

The strong winds pose a risk of downed trees and power lines, as well as electrical outages, he noted.

“This will end as fast as it starts,” Doll said. “By about 7 p.m., the rains will stop and the winds will be around 10 mph by sunset.”

At 5 a.m. Tuesday, the center of the storm was located over northeastern North Carolina moving northeast near 28 mph. Its center will to move into Virginia later in the morning and will arrive in New Jersey by this afternoon.

The areas most strongly affected by Isaias are the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic.

Large surf is swirled by the wind and captured by a long exposure, while a person stands on the shore as Hurricane Isaias approaches North Myrtle Beach

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Debris covers the sidewalk in Southport, N.C.

AP

A car is driven along water-covered Sea Mountain Highway in North Myrtle Beach

AP

People walk through floodwaters on Ocean Blvd.

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“We don’t think there is going to be a whole lot of weakening, we still think there’s going to be very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two,” said Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center.

Daniel Brown, a senior hurricane specialist. added: “All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast US.”

Isaias was upgraded earlier from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Monday evening. Early Tuesday, it was downgraded again while centered about 25 miles northwest of Greenville, North Carolina.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged those evacuating to turn to shelters as a last resort, citing coronavirus risks and the need to operate shelters at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing.

“Whether it’s labeled a tropical storm or a hurricane, you should take this storm seriously, and make sure your family is ready,” he said.

With Post wires