Hurricane Isaias is set to make landfall late Friday along the Florida panhandle near Fort Walton Beach. The hurricane peaked in intensity as a Category 3 earlier in the day. While it will bring dangerous impacts along the coast, the Birmingham area will see effects as well.
Isaias will be a tropical storm by the time it reaches Central Alabama overnight. Here’s a look at impacts for the area through Saturday.
Central Alabama is under a:
- Tropical Storm Warning through Saturday
- Flood Watch through 7 a.m. CDT Sunday morning
National Weather Service
Threats
The biggest window for active weather in Central Alabama will be from about 9 PM Friday evening through 2 PM Saturday afternoon.
Per the National Weather Service in Birmingham:
- Strong winds: Sustained winds could reach 30-40 MPH with gusts up to 50-60 MPH. High winds could cause downed trees and widespread power outages. Breezy conditions will likely begin after sunset Friday.
- Flooding: Up to 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall with locally higher amounts possible through Saturday afternoon. The greatest risk for flash flooding will be in urban and poor drainage areas.
- Isolated tornadoes: As outer rain bands on the east side of Isaias move onshore, brief, spin-up tornadoes could develop. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted the greatest risk in southeast Alabama from Friday afternoon through early Saturday morning. Overall, the tornado risk is very low for Central Alabama.
National Weather Service
How to prepare
- Secure loose outdoor items like furniture, plants, and Halloween decorations
- Charge your devices and backup power sources
- Make sure you have fresh batteries in flashlights
- Have a reliable way to receive weather alerts overnight (i.e. weather radio, weather app)
- If you have any vulnerable trees near your home, shelter in rooms away from where they could fall. If you live in a two-story house, sleep on the bottom floor.
- Refer to the National Hurricane Center for frequent forecast updates