With Tropical Storm Isaias making its way up the East Coast, NYC and surrounding areas are going to pummeled today with high winds and rain.
The National Weather Service previously predicted only heavy rains (up to 3.10 inches for NYC), winds (gusts up to 60 mph), and had issued a Tropical Storm Warning for NYC, but as of this morning they have put a Tornado Watch into effect:
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania until 4 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/1dqks8kgpT
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) August 4, 2020
It will last until 4pm today. As per weather forecasts, the storm will begin about midday (12pm) and hit the city mostly this afternoon.
The shared info says that “a few tornados” are “likely,” plus wind gusts up to 60 mph and even isolated hail!
UPDATE: The threat has increased, with NYC moving up to an “Enhanced Risk” of severe weather with a 10% chance of tornadoes.
The tornado threat from Tropical Storm Isaias has increased for portions of the area. SPC has issued an Enhanced Risk of severe weather for parts of the area for a 10% chance of tornadoes. A tornado watch is in effect until 4 PM. #NYwx #NJwx #CTwx #NYCwx #LIwx pic.twitter.com/vtTUYpcU2e
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) August 4, 2020
To prepare, Notify NYC says to “charge cell phone batteries, gather supplies, and turn refrigerators and freezers to a colder setting.” Stay away from downed power lines, and if you do experience an outage, turn off all appliances.
New Yorkers should “be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for possible warnings. In the event of severe weather, exercise caution when walking, driving, or biking.”
Con Ed says it is prepared to respond to any service outages caused by the storm, and will be sending text updates to customers affected. If you need to report an outage, call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).
The MTA has also shared its preparation plans & safety measures here.
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