North Carolina Hurricane Isaias Leads to Florida
Officials in Dare County, North Carolina, declared a state of emergency Saturday morning for the entire county due to Hurricane Isaias. Hurricane Isais is currently on the Bahamas and will soon affect parts of southern Florida.
With Hurricane Isaias approaching Florida's southeast coast, where storm conditions are expected to steadily intensify this weekend, the National Hurricane Center warned Saturday that "preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."
Evacuation orders for some areas will go into effect Saturday afternoon.
A mandatory evacuation was ordered for Hatteras Island visitors beginning today at noon.
A mandatory evacuation order for Hatteras Island residents and property owners will go into effect Sunday at 6 a.m.
President Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Florida ahead of Hurricane Isaias.
"The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population," the White House said in a press release.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the county can expect strong winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Isaias on Saturday.
Gimenez said the strongest impacts in Miami-Dade will be seen this afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and last through the evening.
On Saturday morning, there was a storm near Andros Island in the Bahamas with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. During the day in the Bahamas there is a possibility of thunderstorms and dangerous storm surges.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged state residents to remain vigilant and heed warnings from local officials and news outlets as Isaias moves closer to the state.
Storm surges along Florida's east coast with water rising 2 to 4 feet above ground level are possible, according to The National Hurricane Center. Isaias is also expected to bring heavy rains and potentially life-threatening flash flooding and urban flooding to south and east-central Florida.
The governor said the state has 20 million masks, 22 million gloves, 10 million gowns, 1.6 million face shields, 270,000 coveralls and 20,000 thermometers to help respond to impacted areas.
In addition to personal protective equipment, the state purchased 50 additional generators in case of a power outage. DeSantis also said that all nursing homes and assisted living facilities were checked to ensure that they have working generators that continue to provide care. It includes 21 COVID-19 nursing facilities established to respond to the epidemic.
As Florida prepares for the storm this weekend, the rest of the east coast could feel the impacts through the beginning of next week with risks of winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge. The National Hurricane Center warned of potential flooding in the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic region stretching up to Virginia.
