Weakened Isaias still threatens NC with 8” of mountain rain, mudslides, NWS says
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Despite weakening overnight into a post-tropical cyclone, former Hurricane Isaias threatens the North Carolina mountains with mudslide and floods, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Saturday.
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Outer bands of rain from the former category 3 hurricane canceled practice and qualifying sessions for the Blue Cross NC 300 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday morning.
Isaias, which was a category 3 hurricane Friday in the Gulf south of Florida and Mississippi, weakened overnight into a post-tropical cyclone with 35 mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm had packed 120 mph winds in the Gulf. Its northward speed slowed from 17 mph Friday night to 14 mph hours later.
Light Isaias rains in the Charlotte area Saturday morning are expected to become heavier throughout the day and evening, NWS meteorologists said.
One to two inches of rain are forecast for Charlotte, and 2 to 4 inches to the west and northwest of the city, according to the latest National Hurricane Center rainfall probability map for Isaias.
The mountains could see 4 to 8 inches, the map shows, with the most rain expected along the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The mountains east to Hickory could see an average 3 or 4 inches of rain before the system moves from the region by Sunday afternoon, NWS meteorologist Chris Horne told The Charlotte Observer. Higher elevations could see the greatest rainfall, he said.
Mudslides remain a threat because they form after about 5 inches of rain, Horne said.
Although the center of Isaias should pass well to the west of the Carolinas, tropical moisture will bring heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding to the North Carolina mountains and foothills, according to a bulletin by the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina, on Saturday morning.
“As well as very gusty winds, especially at high elevations,” NWS forecasters said.
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The heaviest rains are expected 8 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday, NWS meteorologist Clay Chaney said.
A flood watch is in effect through Sunday afternoon for Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancey counties, and parts of Upstate South Carolina, including Oconee County.
A high wind warning is in effect for elevations above 3,500 feet in most North Carolina mountain counties until 8 a.m. Sunday. Gusts up to 60 mph are expected in higher elevations and 45-50 mph gusts in lower elevations, according to the NWS.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, at least 85 flights were delayed and 20 canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to tracking site Flight Aware. Most of the cancellations involved flights to and from Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach and other airports in northwestern Florida and Mississippi.
Due to airport closures, American Airlines, the largest provider of flights at CLT, suspended operations in Destin-Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola Thursday night. The airline is waiving change fees and capping fares in affected markets.
At 8 p.m. Friday, rangers closed U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park due to expected strong winds from Isaias and the potential for downed trees and debris. Balsam Mountain Campground closed at 5 p.m.
Heavy rains “could reach 4 to 6 inches, with isolated amounts approaching 7 inches along the Blue Ridge Escarpment,” Burke County officials said Friday.
“While this is not expected to be another Hurricane Helene, residents should remain aware of the potential for localized impacts,” officials said in a news release.
Flash flooding is of greatest concern in the Jonas Ridge, Ginger Cake Acres and Pisgah National Forest areas, along with streams and waterways that drain toward Lake James, Burke County officials said.
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