National & International News

Isaias Brings Wind, Rain And Tornado Risks Up Through The Northeast Into Canada

By Bill Chappell,

Published August 4, 2020 at 9:26 AM EDT

Mary McCants (left) and Amy Garrett walk near a damaged pier the morning after Hurricane Isaias came through late Monday night in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Hurricane Isaias was downgraded to a tropical storm Tuesday after making landfall overnight as a Category 1 hurricane in North Carolina.

Updated at 12:15 a.m. ET Wednesday

Isaias, now a post-tropical cyclone, is still bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall and the threat of tornadoes as it moves into southeastern Canada after passing through southern and central New England.

As of 11 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said the storm was about 45 miles south-southeast of Montreal, and clocking maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

Isaias is traveling at nearly 40 mph as it heads further inland.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for areas from Merrimack River, Mass., to Stonington, Maine.

As of early Tuesday evening, Isaias has left more than 3 million people without power from North Carolina to Vermont, with 1.2 million of those in New Jersey.

The hurricane center also said minor to moderate river flooding is likely across portions of the Mid-Atlantic, which Isaias plowed through earlier Tuesday.

As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center forecast flooding at 14 locations across the region.

The storm made landfall as a hurricane late Monday night with sustained winds of 85 mph, and was downgraded to a tropical storm as it worked its way up the coast, flooding low-lying areas of the Carolinas and Virginia.

The National Ocean Service said that water levels in Wilmington, N.C., reached more than 4 feet over normal high tide, breaking a record set by Hurricane Florence in 2018.

A truck passes Sam's Corner restaurant in Garden City, S.C., on Monday during heavy rains from Isaias.

At least two deaths have been attributed to a tornado that struck a mobile home park in Bertie County, N.C.

Isaias has strained emergency agencies, arriving as the Southeast copes with large numbers of coronavirus cases. Concerns about the potential to spread the virus forced Florida to suspend testing. Agencies also had to change their plans for handling people stranded by the storm.

"The impact of our shelter operations is really limited to the amount of people we can put in shelters safely," said Edward Conrow, director of emergency Services for Brunswick County, N.C. He added that the facilities are now required to have isolation areas and to provide personal protective gear.