Tropical Storm Watch Issued For New Hampshire: Here Comes Isaias

GRAY, ME — The National Weather Service has issued tropical storm watches and flash flood warnings for most of the state of New Hampshire as Tropical Storm Isaias heads to the region.

Forecasters are expecting between 2 and 4 inches of rain — with even more in some areas of the state. Wind speeds of between 25 to 35 miles per hour should be expected — with 50 mph gusts that could potential rise to as much as 73 mph in some locations.

"Threat to life and property" are expected including "typical forecast uncertainty in track, size, and intensity," the alert said.

Preparation efforts "should now be underway" with Granite Staters readying their property for "significant wind damage" to roofing, siding, carports, porches, sheds, and windows and doors. Secure potential projectiles to limit damage, the alert stated.

Trees and branches may snap or be uprooted causing downed power lines and outages as well as debris in roads and on bridges.

"Tornadoes are not expected," the NWS said, "but showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds may still occur."

At post time, the storm is about 900 miles west of Portsmouth with a storm intensity of 70 mph.

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Flash Flooding, Too

A flash flood watch, issued Monday around 2 p.m., warned the expected rain rates could cause localized flash flooding — "especially across complex terrain and poor drainage urban areas."

Concord General Services Department was seen Monday clearing storm drains around the city preparing for the heavy rain.

"A flash flood watch means that conditions may developed that lead to flash flooding," the alert said. "Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issues."

The flood watch is in effect from 2 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Eversource Says Its Ready

The state's largest electricity company said Monday it was tracking the storm, has storm prep tips, and hundreds of line, tree, and service workers available, ready to respond.

"As many of our customers continue to work from home during the hot summer months in the midst of a pandemic, we appreciate how important it is to have reliable power," Eversource New Hampshire President Joe Purington said. "Our crews are positioned around the state to respond to any damage or outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias, and we will shift resources to the areas where they are needed most. Our team will work around-the-clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible — yet some restorations may take longer as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers while working under the challenging conditions related to the pandemic."

The company reminds all residents to stay clear of downed power lines and call 911 when seen to report them.

The storm preparedness tips can be found here.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States including the 12 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites. Local, four-day weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Wednesday or Thursdays. Alerts are posted when needed.

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