On Saturday, the tropical wind and rainstorm Isaias surged northward along the Appalachian Mountains, prompting wind advisories from Tennessee to Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands and raising the risk of flash flooding across the eastern United States.
AccuWeather forecasters anticipate the fiercest gusts will race straight through mountain valleys, while the heaviest rain will drench Kentucky, Tennessee, southern Ohio, and the Carolinas Saturday night.
Forecasters say the local terrain is heavily influencing wind behavior.
“The Appalachian Mountains can channel air through valleys and mountain gaps and make gusts stronger in some locations. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing. Even well away from the storm’s center, the terrain can amplify the winds, leaving pockets of damaging gusts as the system moves inland and loses wind intensity,” said AccuWeather expert meteorologist Alan Reppert.
Further south, spotty thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes could still pop up across Florida until the main weather band shifts east, while heavy downpours in Georgia and North Carolina may spark sudden flash floods.
The storm first touched down Friday near Destin, Florida, battering the Panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane. AccuWeather’s early estimate puts total damage and economic loss between $16 billion and $20 billion across the Gulf Coast and eastern states, reflecting extensive property damage, widespread power outages, washed‑out roads, and disruptions to businesses and energy infrastructure.
AccuWeather cautions that this cost estimate is preliminary and could climb as impacts continue to unfold across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and Virginia.
By Sunday, the system will move further north, delivering moderate rain and gusty winds across Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and parts of the Northeast through Monday.
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