ALAS POOR PUERTO RICO
Satellite imagery of Tropical Storm Isaias from the morning of July 30 shows it directly above Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
Tropical Storm Isaias gathered force on Thursday morning, causing widespread power outages in Puerto Rico.
The storm is headed toward Florida.
It's the earliest named storm starting with "I" in history — names go in alphabetical order — in an already record-breaking hurricane season.
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Tropical Storm Isaias has already broken a record: It's the earliest named storm starting with "I" ever to form in a hurricane season. Because storms are named in alphabetical order each season, that means nine tropical storms have already formed — the first time that's happened before August 1 since the US began recording hurricane data in the 19th century.
The season's first hurricane, Hanna, made landfall in southern Texas on July 25, with wind speeds reaching 90 mph.
The difference between a tropical storm and hurricane is wind speed: A tropical storm's winds blow at a sustained 39 to 73 mph, whereas a hurricane's winds are 74 mph or greater.
As of 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, Isaias had made landfall at the Dominican Republic and was moving northwest at 20 mph. Its sustained wind speeds are hitting 60 mph.
Forceful winds and rain associated with the storm hit Puerto Rico on Thursday morning, where 312,500 people have lost electricity, according to Weather.com, and about 150,000 have lost water service. The storm was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain on the island, with some areas receiving up to 10 inches.
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
Tropical Storm Isaias gathered force on Thursday morning, causing widespread power outages in Puerto Rico.
The storm is headed toward Florida.
It's the earliest named storm starting with "I" in history — names go in alphabetical order — in an already record-breaking hurricane season.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Tropical Storm Isaias has already broken a record: It's the earliest named storm starting with "I" ever to form in a hurricane season. Because storms are named in alphabetical order each season, that means nine tropical storms have already formed — the first time that's happened before August 1 since the US began recording hurricane data in the 19th century.
The season's first hurricane, Hanna, made landfall in southern Texas on July 25, with wind speeds reaching 90 mph.
The difference between a tropical storm and hurricane is wind speed: A tropical storm's winds blow at a sustained 39 to 73 mph, whereas a hurricane's winds are 74 mph or greater.
As of 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, Isaias had made landfall at the Dominican Republic and was moving northwest at 20 mph. Its sustained wind speeds are hitting 60 mph.
Forceful winds and rain associated with the storm hit Puerto Rico on Thursday morning, where 312,500 people have lost electricity, according to Weather.com, and about 150,000 have lost water service. The storm was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain on the island, with some areas receiving up to 10 inches.
Tropical Storm Isaias looms over Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on July 30.
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
Puerto Rico has already seen flooded roads, felled trees and landslides.
Continued rain and wind could go on to produce "potentially life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides across Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, northern Haiti, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas," according to the National Hurricane Center.
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
Puerto Rico has already seen flooded roads, felled trees and landslides.
Continued rain and wind could go on to produce "potentially life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides across Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, northern Haiti, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas," according to the National Hurricane Center.
The probable path for Tropical Storm Isaias, along with current weather warnings and expected arrival times.
NOAA/NWS
Isaias is forecast to move north toward the US. Heavy rains and winds up to 70 mph are expected in southern Florida by Saturday evening, potentially causing flash floods. The storm could become a hurricane by the time it nears Florida, but it's not likely.
Florida is currently battling one of the US's largest coronavirus outbreaks, with more than 460,000 total cases and 6,500 deaths. Florida's Division of Emergency Management announced Wednesday that it would close state-run COVID-19 testing sites at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, "out of an abundance of caution to keep individuals operating and attending the sites safe."
The shutdowns could exacerbate existing testing delays and bottlenecks. Some South Florida residents say they've waited two weeks for test results, and some labs have cut back on the sites they service, according to the Florida Sun-Sentinel.
NOAA/NWS
Isaias is forecast to move north toward the US. Heavy rains and winds up to 70 mph are expected in southern Florida by Saturday evening, potentially causing flash floods. The storm could become a hurricane by the time it nears Florida, but it's not likely.
Florida is currently battling one of the US's largest coronavirus outbreaks, with more than 460,000 total cases and 6,500 deaths. Florida's Division of Emergency Management announced Wednesday that it would close state-run COVID-19 testing sites at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, "out of an abundance of caution to keep individuals operating and attending the sites safe."
The shutdowns could exacerbate existing testing delays and bottlenecks. Some South Florida residents say they've waited two weeks for test results, and some labs have cut back on the sites they service, according to the Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Tropical Storm Isaias' expected path, along with the expected arrival time of winds and probable wind speeds.
NOAA/NWS
Officials from many hurricane-prone states have been discussing how to incorporate COVID-19 precautions into hurricane emergency planning since early June. South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), for example, has been working to provide shelter options for residents with specific medical needs, like ventilators.
"We, like much of the nation, have never conducted a hurricane operation during a pandemic, but we know that together, with our partners and with the help of all South Carolinians, we will be resilient in the face of these new challenges," Marshall Taylor, General Counsel for the DHEC, said in a June press release.
Isaias' winds and rain are expected to hit South Carolina by early Monday morning.
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NOAA/NWS
Officials from many hurricane-prone states have been discussing how to incorporate COVID-19 precautions into hurricane emergency planning since early June. South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), for example, has been working to provide shelter options for residents with specific medical needs, like ventilators.
"We, like much of the nation, have never conducted a hurricane operation during a pandemic, but we know that together, with our partners and with the help of all South Carolinians, we will be resilient in the face of these new challenges," Marshall Taylor, General Counsel for the DHEC, said in a June press release.
Isaias' winds and rain are expected to hit South Carolina by early Monday morning.
Read the original article on Insider
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