Tropical storm Isidore may seem oceans away to most Mid-Southerners, but Memphians can expect to feel its effects as soon as Wednesday evening.
Jim Belles, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the Mid-South will receive some of this blustery weather but not to the full extent of the storm’s possible power.
“I think now we could realistically see wind gusts in the 30 to 35 mph range,” said Belles.
Isidore is currently classified as a tropical storm but could intensify to a Category 1 hurricane before it makes landfall. Category 1 storms pack winds from 74 mph to 95 mph.
Isidore hit land last weekend on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane and is blamed for the deaths of at least two people. It forced approximately 70,000 people from their homes and nearly 800,000 people lost phone and power lines.
Americans from southeastern Louisiana to the western Florida Panhandle have already evacuated or boarded up their homes.
Louisiana declared a state of emergency Monday, and the Office of Emergency Preparedness opened a shelter Wednesday for Louisiana residents who had evacuated their homes.
The storm is expected to hit the Louisiana coast and move inland through Tupelo, Mississippi.
Belles said that the main threat for the Memphis area is flash flooding.
Last week Memphis received 7 inches of rain, so the soil is already saturated. Flat urban areas where the drainage is not effective are particularly at risk of flash flooding because there is no place for the water to go.
The projected rainfall for the Memphis area is 2 to 4 inches and is expected to start late Wednesday night and continue through Thursday evening.
Belles offered some safety tips for the extreme weather.
“Don’t drive into water of any unknown depth,” Belles said. “Cars that become completely immersed in water are entirely possible with tropical systems.”
