OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. -- Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., about 10:10 p.m. CDT Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. It touched down with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.
Isaias is the fifth storm to make landfall in the U.S. this year, and the second hurricane.
Coastal shops and restaurants had closed early, power began to flicker at oceanfront hotels and even the most adventurous of beachgoers abandoned the sand Monday night as the newly restrengthened hurricane sped toward the Carolinas.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet and up to 8 inches of rain in spots, as Isaias moved up the coast. The Carolinas weren't the only states at risk.
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"All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast U.S.," said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas Wednesday.
The center also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina on Monday night and early today, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later today.
Isaias was upgraded again from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Monday evening.
Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and roughed up the Bahamas but remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend, providing some welcome relief to emergency managers who had to accommodate mask-wearing evacuees in storm shelters. The center of Isaias remained well offshore as it passed Georgia's coast Monday.
President Donald Trump on Monday described Isaias as "very serious."
"Storm surge and inland flooding are possible and everyone needs to remain vigilant until it passes," Trump said.
Authorities in Myrtle Beach, S.C., ordered swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents. Still, many people were out enjoying the beach and walking their dogs under overcast skies.
Officials in frequently flooded Charleston, S.C., handed out sandbags and opened parking garages so residents on the low-lying peninsula could stow their cars above ground.
National Weather Service meteorologists predicted storm surges of 3 to 5 feet in portions of both North and South Carolina.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned residents Monday that the storm could be dangerous regardless of its strength.
"Whether it's labeled a tropical storm or a hurricane, you should take this storm seriously, and make sure your family is ready," Cooper said.
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Ferry operators wrapped up evacuations from Ocracoke Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks on Monday, moving more than 3,500 people and 1,700 vehicles off the island over four days. Island officials were taking no chances after taking a beating less than a year ago from Hurricane Dorian. Evacuation orders also have been issued for Hatteras Island north of Okracoke.
Information for this article was contributed by Russ Bynum, Jeffrey Collins, Michelle Liu, Sophia Tulp, and Seth Borenstein of The Associated Press.
