Memphis is expected to receive heavy rain and strong winds, as Hurricane Isaias prepares to make landfall.
The Category 3 hurricane is expected to hit late Friday, with its “remnants” hitting the Mid-South on Saturday. The heaviest remains are likely to hit areas east of the Mississippi River.
The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts constant winds between 20 to 25 mph, with wind gusts up to 40 mph. The area is predicted to see one to three inches of rainfall. Areas of Northeast Mississippi could experience four inches of rain.
NWS issued a Flood Watch for Memphis from 1 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday.
Doug McGowen, president and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW), said utility crews are prepared in advance. MLGW said trees and tree limbs could fall due to high winds, potentially impacting power lines.
“While the current forecast only calls for heavy rain and some gusty winds, we want to be prepared in case it is more intense,” a statement released from The Greater Memphis Chamber said on behalf of McGowen.
“This means that all MLGW crews are on standby to be available to respond over the weekend, we have extra electrical contractor and tree trimming crews also on standby to aid our crews in the event that we experience a large number of outages.”
