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Isaias regained hurricane status hours before it was expected to make landfall near the border of North and South Carolina Monday evening.
With sustained wind gusts of 85 mph, Hurricane Isaias continued its quick climb up the coast late Monday, past the Georgia coast.
Hampton Roads remains under a tropical storm warning Monday night, with Isaias expected to make landfall there early Tuesday.
The National Weather Service also issued a tornado watch for northeast North Carolina and the southeastern part of Virginia Beach late Monday. That watch lasts until 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
The storm, which made landfall Sunday in eastern Florida, had maximum sustained winds of near 70 mph with higher gusts Monday afternoon. The storm was located just off of the Georgia coast Monday afternoon.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said the storm was shaping up to strengthen into a hurricane by the time it makes landfall.
Hampton Roads is under a tropical storm warning, while a storm surge warning has been issued for portions of Pamlico and Albemarle sounds on the Outer Banks and Oregon Inlet to the North Carolina-Virginia border.
Landfall is projected Monday night into Tuesday in southern North Carolina or northeastern South Carolina, where a hurricane warning is in effect. Isaias is expected to move quickly and gradually weaken after landfall, bringing strong wind and rain across the east coast.
Much of the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida, is under a tropical storm warning.
In Hampton Roads, the National Weather Service expects heavy rain and potential tropical storm-force winds with gusts of 55-70 mph starting late Monday night through Tuesday. Forecasters expect 3-6 inches of rain to fall in the region, with the heaviest rainfall to the west.
With the wind and rain, there is a potential for downed trees, power lines and flash flooding. There is a marginal risk of tornadoes in the coastal plain and Eastern Shore overnight into Tuesday. Forecasters also say there could be moderate coastal flooding with 1 to 3 feet of inundation.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service station in Wakefield said Monday evening that there is a risk of flash flooding in inland areas and possibility for tornadoes in the eastern part of the region. Storm surge is expected to be around 1-2 feet for most areas, and 2-4 feet at the north end of the Albermarle Sound.
Norfolk said in a news release it plans to declare a local emergency at midnight Monday. Portsmouth, Hampton, York County and Gloucester said Monday afternoon they had made emergency declarations.
Portsmouth announced its circuit court will close at 3 p.m. Monday and remain closed, along with other city offices Tuesday. All essential personnel will be expected to report to work on time.
Courts in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake will also be closed Tuesday.
Newport News and Suffolk announced that city offices will be closed on Tuesday.
Cities are opening parking garages for residents who want to move their vehicles to higher ground.
In Norfolk, the York Street Garage at 215 West York St., the Bank Street Garage at 420 Monticello Ave. and the St. Paul’s Lot at 521 Wood St. opens at 6 p.m. on Monday. Old Dominion University parking garages open at the same time.
Virginia Beach will open garages at the Oceanfront and Town Center for residents to park their cars for free starting at 5 p.m. Monday. At the oceanfront, city garages at 9th and 31st streets will be available. At Town Center, garages at The Dick’s Sporting Goods garage at 4621 Columbus St., the Westin Hotel garage at 4535 Commerce St. and the Amada-Hoffler Tower garage at 222 Central Park Ave. will all be open as well.
Newport News is opening both the Fountain Way and Merchants Walk parking garages in City Center for residents.
Portsmouth will leave city garages open beginning at 5 p.m. Monday. Vehicles will be allowed to remain in the garages until 7 a.m. Wednesday.
According to a news release, Norfolk isn’t planning on opening a shelter at this time. York County Administrator Neil Morgan said residents should plan on sheltering in place because the storm is forecast to move through the region quickly. Hampton also said it is not planning to open a shelter but will delay opening city buildings until noon on Tuesday.
Gloucester County said that although there is no mandatory evacuation order in place, residents should keep in mind that bridges, such as the Coleman and West Point bridges will close if sustained winds reach 40-45 mph. Rescue vehicles will be unable to drive through flooded roadways when water reaches 3 feet or higher or when winds reach 50 mph sustained.
Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk and York County have said they won’t pick up trash or recycling on Tuesday morning, but Norfolk said both will proceed as scheduled.
Virginia Beach has decided to cancel its city council Tuesday meeting at the Convention Center due to inclement weather. The clerk’s office said it will be rescheduled at a later date.
The council had planned to hold a 3-hour closed session, a 4 p.m. informal briefing and a 6 p.m. formal meeting. The agenda included important matters such as discussing COVID-19, the acquisition of property for the redevelopment of the Dome site at the Oceanfront, and the expansion of Westminster Canterbury, a retirement community on the Chesapeake Bay.
Breaking News
Portsmouth City Council is postponing its closed session virtual meeting. The meeting will now be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The College of William and Mary announced it would be closing – both for on-campus and remote workers – on Tuesday. The university said it would assess when to reopen once they’d assessed storm impacts there.
Several state parks will close at 5 p.m. in anticipation of high winds and potential flash flooding. The local parks closing include False Cape and First Landing in Virginia Beach, Kiptopeke in Cape Charles, Chippokes Plantation in Surry and York River in Williamsburg.
Decisions about reopening the parks will be made on an individual basis after damage assessments have been completed and it is safe to return to operational status.
The City of Chesapeake announced that tolls on the Route 168 Chesapeake Expressway and at the Veterans Bridge on Dominion Boulevard would be suspended in both directions starting at 10 p.m. Monday through Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Hampton Roads and North Carolina residents should be preparing for the storm. A Virginia hurricane evacuation guide can be found here, and North Carolina’s here. Virginia residents can find their evacuation zone by typing in your address on the emergency department’s website. You can also contact your local emergency managers by phone or call 211.