Residents cover a window with plywood in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Isaias, in the Heritage neighborhood of Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Friday, July 31, 2020.
(AP Photo/Tim Aylen)SAN JUAN Hurricane Isaias snapped trees and knocked out power as it blew through the Bahamas on Saturday and headed toward the Florida coast, where officials said they were closing beaches, parks and coronavirus testing sites.
Authorities in North Carolina ordered the evacuation of Ocracoke Island, which was slammed by last years Hurricane Dorian, starting Saturday evening.
Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (135 kph) Saturday morning and some strengthening was possible, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
On Thursday, while still a tropical storm, Isaias toppled trees, knocked out power, destroyed crops and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.