Hurricane Isaias cancels Charlotte flights, events as storm strengthens in Gulf
Charlotte flights and weekend events were canceled as Isaias became a major hurricane in the Gulf Friday.
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The powerful storm packed 120-mph winds and was forecast to deliver life-threatening surge to the mouth of the Mississippi River and the Florida coast, National Hurricane Center meteorologists said.
Isaias is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday and dump 2 to 3 inches of rain Saturday and Sunday in the Charlotte region, the mountains and Upstate South Carolina, according to the National Weather Service in Greer, S.C.
Higher amounts – 3 or 4 inches – could fall along steep slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, NWS meteorologists said.
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, 89 flights were delayed and 27 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.
Sustain Charlotte moved its annual Biketoberfest from this Sunday to Sunday, Oct. 18. The town of Cornelius canceled Saturday’s 14th annual Laketoberfest due to the forecast. “Due to the magnitude and scale of this event, Laketoberfest will not be rescheduled,” town officials said in a statement.
Charlotte Motor Speedway hasn’t announced postponement of this weekend’s Banks of America 400 events.
The forecast for Isaias in North Carolina “is far less severe” than Helene, although “heavy rain and gusty winds remain possible,” according to the NWS. “This is the current forecast, and conditions may change as the system approaches.”
Still, experts with the private AccuWeather service warned that flooding from Isaias threatens southwestern North Carolina and surrounding communities.
“Isaias is expected to move faster than Helene did in 2024, which should limit the duration and extent of flooding,’” AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said. “But it doesn’t take a repeat of Helene to cause dangerous flash flooding, mudslides and washed-out roads in these mountain communities.”
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Precisely how much rain the hurricane will dump on the Charlotte region and North Carolina mountains remained uncertain, NWS forecasters said on social media site X.
After making landfill near Pensacola, Fla., the storm is expected to barrel north across the Deep South through Saturday, NWS meteorologists said. Similarly, Helene made landfall two years ago on the Florida Gulf Coast before curling to the west near the mountains, but far less rain is expected with Isaias, forecasters said.
Helene delivered 15 inches to 30 inches of rain, the NWS said. For hours, the storm had sustained winds of 60 mph and greater and gusts of at least 70 mph, NWS meteorologists said.
Multiple days of heavy rain and flash flooding occurred before Helene’s arrival, while we can expect dry conditions before Isaias, forecasters said.
With Isaias, winds of 15 mph to 25 mph are forecast across most of the Charlotte area, N.C. foothills and Upstate South Carolina, with 30-40 mph gusts, the NWS said.
Above 3,500 feet in the mountains, winds of 25 mph to 35 mph are forecast, with 40-50 mph gusts.
The eye of Isaias should pass well to the west of the Carolinas, “but tropical moisture will impact our area this weekend, bringing the potential for heavy rainfall and localized flooding, as well as very gusty winds,” according to the NWS Greer office.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Although Isaias is forecast to pass well to our west, tropical moisture will bring the potential for heavy rainfall and localized flooding. Forecast confidence is increasing, but uncertainty remains with rainfall amount and wind forecast. https://t.co/De6FaiCrZ6
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