Hurricane Isaias takes aim at Florida after drenching Bahamas

Florida coastal residents on Friday were put on hurricane watch as Isaias soaked the Bahamas and headed for the U.S. East Coast.

The watch advisory for Hurricane Isaias was issued for the state’s central and eastern coasts, with heavy rain expected as early as Friday evening.

Beaches, marinas and parks in Miami-Dade County are being closed ahead of the weekend, according to the Associated Press. 

The Category 1 storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and is expected to remain a hurricane for the next few days, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. 

The center of the storm as of Friday morning was about 295 miles southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas and moving northwest at 16 mph.

The storm threatens Florida as the state contends with a spike in coronavirus cases.

Residents who are infected and need to be evacuate will be isolated from the general population in shelters, according to the Associated Press.