Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become a hurricane. Will it impact NC?

Forecasters believe that Isaias will peak before making landfall, but it could still be a “significant” hurricane when it reaches the coast, with strong winds and flooding rain.

USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

October 7, 2026

Tropical Storm Isaias path, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The National Hurricane Center announced Wednesday that Tropical Storm Isaias has formed off the Gulf Coast.

The tropical storm, which is the ninth named tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is the first of the season expected to strengthen into a hurricane. The storm’s path is expected to meet the northern Gulf Coast on Friday, Oct. 9, with winds of over 100 mph expected.

Read More: It’s peak hurricane season in NC. So where are the storms?

Forecasters believe that the storm will peak before making landfall, but it could still be a “significant” hurricane when it reaches the coast, with strong winds and flooding rain, according to USA TODAY. As of 10 a.m. on Oct. 7, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving east-northeast at 8 mph.

Here’s what to know about Isaias’s possible impact in North Carolina from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Has a tropical storm formed? What to know about Tropical Storm Isaias

According to an advisory issued by the NOAA at 10 a.m. on Oct. 7, Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to strengthen into a strong hurricane before approaching the northern Gulf Coast on Oct. 9. The advisory warned that there is an “increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the northern Gulf Coast,” with a Storm Surge Watch issued from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Yankeetown, Florida.

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become a hurricane. Will it impact NC? — Greatest flash flood risks from Tropical Storm Isaias according to the NOAA.

Will Tropical Storm Isaias affect North Carolina? Where will Tropical Storm Isaias hit?

According to NOAA, Isaias is also expected to bring areas of heavy rainfall to the central U.S. Gulf Coast and much of the Southeast on Friday and into the weekend, Oct. 9-11, with flash and urban flooding along with isolated river flooding possible.

Main states in the probable path of the storm’s center include: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Georgia. However, NOAA alert noted that hazardous conditions can occur outside of the cone.

Will Tropical Storm Isaias cause flooding in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, flash flood risks caused by Tropical Storm Isaias are between marginal and slight, or 5-15%. Greatest risks are in parts of Western N.C. and the coast near Wilmington.

Reporting by Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times / Asheville Citizen Times

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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