WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina late Monday night, battering coastal areas with heavy rains and winds of up to 85mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
NHC upgraded Isaias to category-one hurricane as it approached the Carolinas.
The heavy rain caused flooding. Hundreds of power outages were reported across the state whlie many buildings in Southport suffered major damage.
NHC said in its 9 AM EDT update on Tuesday that strong winds, heavy rainfall, and tornadoes occurring over eastern Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula will spread northward along the mid-Atlantic coast later in the day.
'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 NHC.
Isaias is forecast to gradually weaken as it brings strong winds along the East Coast. It was downgraded to a tropical storm Tuesday morning, with maximum sustained winds down to 70 mph.
FEMA chief warned East Coast residents to prepare for Hurricane.
New York City is preparing for storm surges deploying temporary flood barriers.
Delaware officials are taking precautionary measures.
Millions are under tropical storm warnings, including those in Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
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