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Isaias downgraded to a Tropical Storm; continues its path towards Florida

The storm then could move along the coasts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states from Tuesday into Wednesday

Published: August 1, 2020 10:20am

Updated: August 1, 2020 5:46pm

Isaias is now a tropical storm as it continues to move closer to Florida's east coast, bringing along a risk for severe weather.

Isaias was downgraded to a Tropical Storms, but in its 5 p.m. advisory on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said the storm is moving northwest at 10 mph with dangerous maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. Isaias could regain its strength to become a hurricane again overnight at it approaches Florida's coast.

Governor Ron DeSantis, who declared a State of Emergency for Friday ahead of the system's arrival, said that the state is fully prepared for storms during this hurricane season.  During a press conference Saturday, he said that the state has appropriate stockpiles of personal protective equipment, generators, bottled water and meals ready to be distributed.

The storm is expected to hit Florida later Saturday, before tracking up the East Coast as far north as New England next week.

The storm's center could affect the Carolinas' coast by early Tuesday -- and current forecasts show a landfall over the coastal Carolinas is possible. The storm then could move along the coasts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states from Tuesday into Wednesday.

The governors of North Carolina and Virginia have also declared states of emergency, allowing officials to move resources and equipment for recovery.

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President Trump has approved the state's federal disaster declaration. That allows for federal reimbursement for funds spent on storm recovery by the state.

 

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