Tropical Storm Isaias Is Expected Around Midnight, Heavy Wind & Rain

We have another tropical storm heading our way. Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds starting around midnight tonight, and through the day tomorrow. Expect two to four inches of rain across the city, Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell, said, with most of the rain between 1pm and 6pm tomorrow. Wind will pick up around 11 am and by 2pm, according to Criswell, we could see 35 to 45 mile per hour winds for a few hours, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour.

“At this moment, from what we’ve heard from the National Weather Service, the impact appears to be limited in terms of New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said this morning. “But my friends, we have been surprised before by storms. We’ve been surprised by the way they can change at the last minute. So, we’re in a very vigilant state right now. We are not taking any chances at all, and for everyone who lived through Hurricane Sandy, you will remember that we got a lot more than we bargained for, and we’ve seen that with snowstorms as well.”

Lower Manhattan seems to be particularly vulnerable based on information from the National Weather Service, so Emergency Management (EM) is deploying interim flood protection measures to protect against moderate storm surge around South Street Seaport area. EM is setting up temporary barriers to stop a storm surge from Wall Street to Water Street.

The city is in constant contact with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center and is deploying operations personnel to assess street conditions and coordinate resources. A Flash flood emergency plan has been activated, and city workers have been out clearing catch basins through the weekend in preparation for the storm, Criswell informed at this morning’s press conference, adding that the city and its partners are ready to respond to downed trees, power outages, and other interrupted utilities.

While the authorities are not planning on activating or issuing an evacuation order for this event, Criswell said, all New Yorkers should make sure they know which of the six hurricane evacuation zones they live in, sign up for NotifyNYC alerts form the city, and have a plan of how to keep in touch with family in an emergency.

“We want you to prepare for strong winds, strong winds will bring down trees, power lines, and they can turn unsecured objects into flying projectiles. So, what you should do is check the areas immediately surrounding your homes or businesses for any unsecured objects that could be potentially dangerous conditions, tree limbs, garbage cans, yard debris,” Criswell urged. “We want you to secure all of these things so we make sure that everybody stays safe. We want you to anchor objects that could be unsafe, such as gas grills or propane tanks or patio furniture, and then prepare for potential flooding. It’s never safe to drive or walk into floodwaters.”