Tropical Storm Isaias causing life threating flash flood over Puerto Rico

Tropical storm conditions will continue across portions of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through this morning or early afternoon.

These conditions are forecast to reach portions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti within the warning area later this morning, and the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos this afternoon.

Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Central Bahamas beginning Friday morning and are possible in the northwestern Bahamas beginning late Friday.

As of this morning, the center of Tropical Storm Isaias was located over the Caribbean Sea about 125 miles (285 km) west of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and about 105 miles (175 km) east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Isaias is moving toward the northwest near 20 mph (31 km/h), and a west-northwestward to northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.

On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will move over Hispaniola later today and near the Southeastern Bahamas by tonight or early Friday.

Isaias is forecast to be near the Central Bahamas Friday night and approach the Northwest Bahamas or southern Florida Friday night and Saturday.

Isaias is expected to produce the following rain accumulations:

– British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos: 3 to 6 inches.

– Puerto Rico and northern Haiti: 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches.

– Dominican Republic: 4 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 10 inches.

– Bahamas: 4 to 8 inches.

-Cuba: 2 to 4 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 6 inches.

These rainfall amounts will lead to life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, as well as potential riverine flooding beginning today.

Urban and small stream flooding is expected for the U.S. Virgin Islands, eastern Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola.