Thread by @NCWeatherhound

A few tidbits as you wait for the coffee to cook:
Isaias is still a stopical storm, but THIS CLOSE to being a Cat 1 hurricane. In fact, it's a foregone conclusion that it will be Hurricane #Isaias by landfall in the Carolinas. 1/x

Barring something totally off the wall, that landfall will take place late tonight or very early Tuesday. Location has narrowed to the upper Grand Strand or SENC south-facing beaches as the most likely target, but that's less certain. 2/x

The Central and southern Sandhills, including FAY and Fort Bragg, remain under a Tropical Storm Warning with winds above 40 mph expected and gusts possibly up to 60 mph. Pockets of torrential rain are likely after sunset. 3/x

The rest of the region remains under a Tropical Storm Watch and a Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday evening. Rain totals of 3-5 inches, depending on storm track and speed, are expected. Some spots, mainly east of I-95 could top 6 inches. 4/x

If the recent slide to the east by the NHC verifies, wind won't be as big an issue for FAY and points west. But rainfall of possibly 4-6 inches in less than 24 hours is bound to cause localized flooding issues, and greater problems downstream. 5/x

In the southern Sandhills, things are going to get messy by early evening. More wind, more rain ... and the possibility of isolated quick spin-up tornadoes arriving ahead of the storm. 6/x

Just about every model projects at least modest strengthening today as Isaias slides north. A bathwater environment and reduced shear are the main reasons. High clouds from Isaias are already moving across the Sandhills at daybreak as the storm begins ramping up. 7/x

BTW, I note that Moore and Lee counties are under a Flash Flood Watch, but not a Tropical Storm Watch. The main difference there is winds aren't expected to be as strong. There's quite a gradient between the Sandhills and points west.