Name: Weakened Isaias expected to regain hurricane strength as it nears Florida, rainy and windy night ahead
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Weakened Isaias expected to regain hurricane strength as it nears Florida, rainy and windy night ahead

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A Category 1 Hurricane Isaias gusts reach South Florida, makes landfall in Bahamas as it begins to reorganize. High winds will start lashing South Florida in the middle of the night, working their way up the coast as what’s expected to be Hurricane Isaias makes its long-awaited march up the coast. Northern Palm Beach County may see the worst of it, with forecasts calling for gusts of up to 90 mph. Wind speeds and rain are expected to climb through the night, with Broward County experiencing the worst of it around dawn Sunday and Palm Beach experiencing peak winds through the morning and early afternoon. Advertisement Powerful winds and driving rain may greet many South Florida residents as they awaken Sunday morning with the arrival of the storm. The storm slowed its forward motion Saturday evening, pushing back the timing of the region’s first encounter with a hurricane this season. Although temporarily weakened to tropical storm strength, Isaias is forecast to regain power and generate wind speeds of 75 mph by the time it nears Florida. Advertisement At 8 p.m. Saturday the center of Isaias was about 100 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale, generating top winds of 70 mph. The coast of Palm Beach County, the area most at risk of hurricane-force winds, can expect to experience the worst of it from before dawn Sunday to noon or 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The northern part of the county could see gusts of up to 90 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Broward County, which is no longer under a hurricane watch, is likely to experience the worst weather before dawn. Through Saturday night and early Sunday, rain bands are expected to bring periods of stormy weather. A 59-mph gust was recorded Saturday afternoon off Dania Beach. Here are details on what South Florida can expect, starting late Saturday night and going into Sunday morning, with areas to the south experiencing the first effects: * Miami-Dade County: Winds of up to 40 mph on the coast, with gusts to 55 mph. Inland areas could see winds of up to 30 mph, with gusts to 45 mph. Winds should die down by 4-6 a.m. Sunday. * Broward County: Winds of up to 50 mph, with gusts to 65 mph. Inland areas can expect winds of 40 mph and gusts to 50 mph. Tropical-force winds, which means those of 39 mph or more, should be over by 6-8 a.m. * Southern Palm Beach County: Winds of up to 60 mph, with gusts to 75 mph. The winds should die down by noon to 2 p.m. * Northern Palm Beach County: Winds of up to 70 mph along the coast, with gusts of up to 90 mph. Inland areas could see winds of up to 45 mph, with gusts to 70 mph. Tropical-force winds should die down by 2-4 p.m. The potential damage from the Category 1 storm has been difficult to predict, since it was unclear whether it would remain at sea or come ashore. As South Florida residents awake Sunday morning, officials urged anyone in hard-hit areas to avoid going out. “Please resist the urge to venture out after the storm,” said Bill Johnson, Palm Beach County’s emergency management director. “Our emergency response crews need to go out and survey the roads and infrastructure for any damage and major hazards. You don’t need to be out on the road complicating that process. A major cause of post-storm injury is motor vehicle crashes caused by downed or missing street signs. You’re safer at home.” The risk of a direct hit diminished, but the storm is still forecast to come menacingly near. At highest risk is coastal Palm Beach County, especially to the north, which faces the greatest chance of experiencing hurricane-force winds, which means speeds of at least 74 mph. Northern Broward and southern Palm Beach counties were expected to face strong tropical force winds, with speeds of 58 to 73 mph. Though the risk had lessened and Broward’s hurricane watch was lifted, Palm Beach County remained under a hurricane warning late Saturday. Florida Power & Light warned the storm could bring “widespread” power outages to southeast Florida. Advertisement Broward and Miami-Dade County never opened shelters, and Palm Beach County opened six. By late Saturday afternoon, Palm Beach County’s shelters held 150 people, and the county’s pet-friendly shelter accommodated 15 dogs, seven cats and one bird. Palm Beach County authorities urged residents of mobile homes to evacuate, but residents didn’t appear worried. At mobile home and manufactured home communities, only handfuls of homes had windows covered with plywood, metal or translucent hurricane shutters. In Lake Worth, a woman named Cricket Allie watched as her grandson put hurricane shutters on her manufactured home. She intended to stay, saying she would only evacuate if the storm were expected to reach Category 3 force. But she was taking the precaution of putting up shutters. Having grown up in coastal Florida, she respected the power of hurricanes. “A lot of people who don’t pay the price,” Allie said. South Florida in its first brush with a storm this season after hurricane watches and warnings were issued late Friday afternoon. , which means hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours, was issued at 5 p.m. for the coast from Boca Raton to the Volusia County-Flagler County line. A hurricane watch, which means hurricane conditions are possible, was issued for the entire Broward County coast. South Florida started to feel the first gusts of the hurricane on Saturday morning as the storm made landfall on Andros Island in the Bahamas. The National Weather Service reported gusts of up to 40 mph in parts of South Florida and urged residents to finish getting ready. “We know we are going to get some impacts,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday. “What shape those impacts take remains to be seen ... this thing is on the way.” “This stuff is all, you know, very much in flux,” he said. “Even if the eye of the storm stays off the coast, there of course is going to be impacts when you’re talking about a hurricane or tropical storm force winds. So folks need to be prepared for that.” The Hurricane Center forecasts rainfall of 2 to 4 inches from South Florida into east-central Florida, with isolated totals of 6 inches. Heavy rainfall could result in potentially life-threatening flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas. Hurricane Isaias is not expected to grow — and it could even get a bit weaker — thanks to other weather conditions such as dry air and winds west of the storm’s center. “This combination should prevent any more intensification, and, while Isaias is expected to remain a hurricane as it passes near the Florida coast, at least slight weakening should occur during this time,” forecasters wrote. Advertisement The storm is forecast to make a gradual turn toward the north Saturday, and the sooner it makes that turn, the less likely it is to affect South Florida. “Even small changes in the track, especially if those changes bring the storm closer to Florida, means that we could have tropical storm force winds extending over a larger area,” said Robert Molleda, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Miami. “Potentially even hurricane-force winds, especially up in Palm Beach County and more rainfall and the potential for flooding.” If Florida does get brushed by the storm as it remains at sea, the state will experience the hurricane’s less powerful left side. The right side is considered the “dirty side” of a hurricane. The right side’s winds are stronger, drawing power from the combination of winds from the storm’s counterclockwise circulation and the winds pushing the storm forward. On the left side, which South Florida appears more likely to experience, the opposite happens, with the steering winds counteracting the winds of circulation, producing lower wind speeds on the ground. Leaders are urging caution in the Bahamas, where many people are still living in tents from last year’s strike by Hurricane Dorian. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced he was relaxing a COVID-19 lockdown as a result of the impending storm, but said a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew would be implemented starting Friday. “I beg you, do not use this period for hurricane preparation to go socializing and visiting friends or family,” Minnis wrote on Twitter. “If you do not need to be out, please, please, STAY AT HOME! We are in the midst of a pandemic and if we do not act responsibly, the consequences could be dire.” As Isaias passed over Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic over the past two days, having not yet reached hurricane strength, it toppled trees, destroyed crops, knocked out power, produced widespread flooding and caused small landslides. A man died in the Dominican Republic when he was electrocuted by a fallen electrical cable. The Puerto Rico National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floodwaters, which swept away one woman who remains missing. The National Hurricane Center g two areas of low pressure that may develop into tropical cyclones, the rotating storm systems that can strengthen into hurricanes. One system, about 650 miles east of the Caribbean, has 50 percent chance of forming over the next five days and is projected to head northwest and then north. The other, off the African coast, 200 miles northeast of the Cabo Verde Islands, became Tropical Depression No. 10 Friday night. But the early Saturday morning advisory said the system with 35 mph winds is likely to soon fall apart. “The depression is forecast to weaken and become a remnant low later today,” forecasters said. The next storm to get a name this season will be called Josephine. There have been four other tropical storms so far this month: , , Gonzalo and Hanna. Other named storms this year have included Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal and Dolly. , making this the sixth straight year that a named storm formed before the official start of hurricane season on June 1. As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. You are now following this newsletter. So far, Hanna has been the only other hurricane of the season, striking Texas late last week as a strong Category 1 storm. Virtually all estimates for this predict an , due to unusually warm ocean temperatures and global climate factors that are likely to reduce the high-altitude winds that can prevent the formation of hurricanes. On July 8, Colorado State University issued a slightly more pessimistic outlook for hurricane season than its earlier forecast, upping the number of named storms from 19 to 20. This is a developing story, so check back for updates. to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox. Eileen Kelley contributed to this report. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4535. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement

A Category 1 Hurricane Isaias gusts reach South Florida, makes landfall in Bahamas as it begins to reorganize. High winds will start lashing South Florida in the middle of the night, working their way up the coast as what’s expected to be Hurricane Isaias makes its long-awaited march up the coast. Northern Palm Beach County may see the worst of it, with forecasts calling for gusts of up to 90 mph. Wind speeds and rain are expected to climb through the night, with Broward County experiencing the worst of it around dawn Sunday and Palm Beach experiencing peak winds through the morning and...

Weakened Isaias expected to regain hurricane strength as it nears Florida, rainy and windy night ahead

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