Hurricane Isaias
Hurricane Isaias (/ˌiːsɑːˈiːɑːs/) was a Category 1 hurricane that struck portions of the Eastern Caribbean and caused significant damage across much of the Eastern United States in July and August 2020. The ninth named storm and second hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Isaias originated from a vigorous tropical wave off the coast of Africa that was first identified by the National Hurricane Center on July 23, 2020. The tropical wave gradually became more organized, and obtained gale-force winds on July 28, before organizing into Tropical Storm Isaias on July 30. Isaias marked the earliest ninth named storm on record, surpassing 2005's Hurricane Irene by eight days. Isaias strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane the next day, reaching a peak intensity of 85 mph (137 km/h) and a pressure of 987 mbar. On August 1, the storm made landfall on North Andros, Bahamas and subsequently weakened to a tropical storm before paralleling the east coast of Florida and Georgia. As it approached the Carolina coastline, it reintensified back into a hurricane shortly before making landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, at 11:10 PM EDT on August 3 as a Category 1 hurricane, and proceeded to accelerate up the East Coast of the United States.
Numerous tropical storm watches and warnings as well as hurricane watches and hurricane warnings were issued for the Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Cuba, and the East Coast of the United States. Isaias caused devastating flooding and wind damage in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Several towns were left without electricity and drinking water in Puerto Rico, which prompted a disaster declaration by President Donald Trump. In the Dominican Republic, two people were killed by wind damage. A woman was killed in Puerto Rico after being swept away in flood waters. At least two were killed after a tornado touched down in North Carolina and five others were killed by wind damage in Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New York. In Pennsylvania a woman drowned after her vehicle was swept away by flood waters and a child was found dead after going missing during the height of the storm. A man drowned in rough surf off the coast of New Jersey.
The National Hurricane Center first began tracking a vigorous tropical wave off the west coast of Africa on July 23. The wave gradually organized and became better defined, developing a broad area of low pressure Though the circulation was broad and disorganized, convection continued to increase over the system, and the system obtained gale-force winds on July 28. Although the system still lacked a well-defined center, imminent threat of tropical cyclonegenesis and tropical storm-force winds to land areas prompted its designation as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine at 15:00 UTC on July 28. The system moved just south of Dominica on July 29, and at 03:00 UTC on the following day, the system organized sufficiently to become a tropical cyclone. Due to its precursor disturbance already having gale-force winds, it was immediately declared a tropical storm and given the name Isaias When Tropical Storm Isaias developed, it became the earliest ninth named storm on record, breaking the record of Hurricane Irene in 2005 by eight days. Isaias continued strengthening after reaching tropical storm status, with one-minute sustained winds reaching 60 mph (95 km/h) on July 30 as it made landfall on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. Contrary to predictions by meteorologists, the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola did not weaken the storm, as the system had a broad circulation and developed a new low-pressure center to the north of the island, thus maintaining its intensity.
Early the next day, hurricane hunters unexpectedly found that Isaias strengthened, reaching its initial peak intensity as a Category 1 hurricane, with 1-minute sustained winds of 80 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 990 mbar (29.23 inHg). Moderate to strong southwesterly wind shear and dry air entrainment began affecting the storm a few hours later, resulting in the low-level center being exposed near the western edge of the convection. After a brief weakening trend, Isaias began to intensify again, with deep convection firing over the exposed center and an eye feature forming on Bahamian radar. Later that evening, data from another hurricane hunter reconnaissance aircraft confirmed a closed eyewall and a lower minimal central pressure of 987 mbar (29.15 inHg). The storm strengthened afterwards to obtain its peak intensity, with 1-minute sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h), despite a somewhat ragged appearance on satellite imagery. At 15:00 UTC on August 1, Isaias made landfall on Northern Andros Island, Bahamas with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), slightly weaker than its peak. Land interaction and the continued effects of wind shear and dry air continued to weaken the system, and Isaias dropped below hurricane strength at 21:00 UTC, as its center became completely devoid of convection, although a large burst of convection formed over the center shortly after it moved back over water.
As the storm neared Southeast Florida, a strong mid-level circulation formed just northeast of the low-level circulation center, spawning intense convection mainly north and east of the LLCC. The storm then paralleled the east coast of Florida and Georgia, with its winds fluctuating between 65–70 miles per hour (105–113 km/h). As the storm turned northeastward, it entered a more favorable environment for strengthening, with wind shear relaxing just enough to allow the storm to redevelop intense convection. The storm began to quickly reintensify, regaining hurricane status at 00:00 UTC on August 4, before reaching a secondary peak intensity, with 1-minute sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 988 mbar (29.18 inHg). At 03:10 UTC, the hurricane made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina at the same intensity. The date of this landfall made Isaias the earliest fifth tropical cyclone to make landfall in the United States. Following landfall, Isaias continued to accelerate and only weakened slowly, dropping below hurricane status at 07:00 UTC over North Carolina. Isaias moved quickly to the north-northeast, crossing through Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania while losing tropical characteristics. The system fully lost tropical characteristics and became extratropical at 03:00 UTC on August 5 over southern Quebec, east-southeast of Montreal.
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