As tropical storm Isaias pulled away from the Florida coast on Monday morning, authorities predicted that it would turn into a hurricane before hitting the Carolinas tonight.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina, in its 8 a.m. advisory. Tropical Storm Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was expected to strengthen later Monday, forecasters said. A Category 1 hurricane has winds of 74 to 95 mph.
“We are forecasting it to become a hurricane before it reaches the coast this evening,” senior hurricane specialist Daniel Brown said. “It’s forecast to produce a dangerous storm surge, of 3 to 5 feet in portions of North and South Carolina.
Soundings and BoatU.S. offer storm preparation tips on their websites, which include pulling boats, adding additional dock lines, ensuring your boat will shed water, removing anything that can get torn off the boat plus other measures.
What the latest news means for New England boaters wasn’t totally clear, but authorities in New Hampshire and other northeastern states were urging boaters to be prepared for high winds and heavy rains, if not more.
