Bahamas, Florida brace for Hurricane Isaias

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People examine the level of the Canovanas River in Puerto Rico after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Isaias. Associated Press

Bahamas, Florida brace for Hurricane Isaias

Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis late on Thursday relaxed coronavirus restrictions to allow people to prepare for the storm but announced a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew beginning on Friday. Hurricane Isaias maintained maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour and is expected to track through the Bahamas before moving toward South Florida on Saturday. The Florida Division of Emergency Management closed some drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing sites on Thursday evening as it braced for the Category 1 storm.

Has the storm caused any destruction yet? Before strengthening into a hurricane, Tropical Storm Isaias on Thursday knocked out power and flooded streets on several small islands in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In Puerto Rico, the National Guard rescued at least 35 people, and one person remained missing.

Dig deeper: Read Laura G. Singleton’s report on the effects of Hurricane Dorian on the Bahamas last year.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks