Tropical Storm Isaias (ees-ah-EE-ahs) was still lashing Puerto Rico and parts of the Virgin Islands with torrential rainfall and strong winds Thursday morning. Other Caribbean islands are under the gun for the next day or two before a possible landfall on the mainland United States the first weekend of August.
As of 5 a.m. EDT Thursday, Isaias was centered about 100 miles southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico, producing sustained winds of 60 mph with higher gusts. Those tropical storm force winds extended up to 415 miles from the storm’s center. A Weatherflow station in Yabucoa Tanque de Agua reported sustained winds of 52 mph with a gust to 59 mph.
Tropical storm conditions – sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph – will likely reach portions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti this morning, followed by the southeastern Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos this afternoon. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the central Bahamas beginning Friday morning and could reach the northwestern Bahamas beginning late Friday, then possibly portions of southern Florida beginning Saturday.
The U.S. Coast Guard has already set some port restrictions in southern Florida as they anticipate tropical storm conditions to arrive soon.
Vessel operators desiring to remain in the ports of Miami and Key West must immediately contact the Captain of the Port (COTP) to receive permission and are required to submit a safe mooring plan in writing. Vessels bound for these ports unable to depart 24 hours prior to threatening winds making landfall are advised to seek an alternate destination.
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