VALDOSTA —
Tropical Storm Isaac’s westward turn means less rain than originally thought for Valdosta, though there is still a significant chance of flooding, according to forecasters.
Isaac is now expected to become a Category 2 hurricane by the time it hits land. The National Weather Service’s website defines “Category 2” as sustained wind speeds from 96-110 mph.
Sunday afternoon, it was expected to eventually move in on the northern Gulf coast, though its path was still “uncertain,” said Kelley Godsey, meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s office in Tallahassee, Fla.
The storm is most likely to make landfall somewhere along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama, said Carl Erickson, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.com. He said the storm should reach the coast sometime Tuesday evening.
Earlier computer models suggested a chance the storm could come in close to the Florida coast near Tampa, where the Republican National Convention is being held. Erickson said such a track was “unusual” for a storm coming up from the Caribbean.
Isaac’s westward turn is bringing it back in line with what is climatically more normal for storms, he said.
“We’ll probably see more moisture streaming north” as Isaac approaches the coast, increasing thunderstorm activity, Erickson said.
Saturday, forecasts called for as much as 15 inches of rain in Valdosta thanks to Isaac. Sunday, Godsey put the city’s rainfall estimate at 7-10 inches by Thursday. Rain should start picking up across the region this afternoon, he said.
Godsey stressed that there is still a “pretty good threat” of flooding from Isaac due to recent rains across the area.
Wind gusts may be possible around Valdosta, Erickson said, while Godsey said winds could be “near tropical storm force" at 30-40 mph.
For more on this story and other local news, subscribe to The Valdosta Daily Times e-Edition, or our print edition.
