Nola Sizemore

Staff Writer

Making landfall in Louisiana on Tuesday night, Hurricane Issac, a Category 1 hurricane, will affect weather in Harlan County by Sunday according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.

Hurricane Issac is forecasted to move over Louisiana on today. Moving at about 6 miles per hour, Issac is forecasted to cross into southern Arkansas by early Friday.

“Right now the forecast for Hurricane Issac is pretty uncertain,” said Warning Coordination Meteorologist Tony Edwards at the National Weather Service in Jackson. “The hurricane is going to track northwest up the Mississippi River Valley and then turn east, northeast across the Ohio Valley as it interacts with a frontal system. Right now, once it makes that turn, it could stay well to our north up in Indiana and Ohio or it could move right across the state of Kentucky. There are two different computer models saying different things. We’re not exactly certain how much rain we’re going to get from Issac.”

Edwards said one computer model is showing the Harlan County area could get 1-half inch of rain from the storm. He said the other computer model is printing 2 and 1-half to 3 inches of rain possible.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty at this time, but as the hurricane moves inward, it will become more certain,” said Edwards. “I think we will get some rain, but the better chances are Sunday and Monday as the hurricane works across the map. The amounts, we’ll just have to wait awhile on that prediction.”

Due to the last few weeks being “rather dry” Edwards said he is not expecting any major flooding to occur as Issac brings rain to the state. He said if the rain comes “really quickly” there could be a possibility of major flooding.

“There could be some isolated flash flooding,” said Edwards. “There’s also a chance of some severe weather as Issac moves through, because it will be interacting with a cold front. I don’t think we’ll have a major flood threat, that should be back to our west in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, but you can’t rule it out totally. There could be some severe thunderstorms and gusty winds if everything works out just right. It’s something we’re going to keep our eyes on. It’ll be muggy and warm, high in the 80s all through the Labor Day weekend. If the hurricane tracks right over top of us the clouds will keep the temperatures lower than that.”

Reach Nola Sizemore at 606-573-4510 or at nsizemore@heartlandpublications.com