Latest: Gov. Cooper says 'you should take this storm seriously' whether it's a hurricane or a tropical storm

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3:25 p.m.: We’re monitoring the conditions in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where Tropical Storm Isaias may make landfall around 9 p.m. tonight.

3:18 p.m.: WRAL Meteorologist Kat Campbell says the worst conditions from Isaias will occur overnight Monday into Tuesday morning. Areas from Raleigh east are under a tropical storm warning and could see sustained tropical storm force winds, flooding, and tornadoes.

3:13 p.m.: The Town of Hope Mills has declared a state of emergency due to Tropical Storm Isaias.

3:00 p.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper is holding a press conference about state preparations for Tropical Storm Isaias. Cooper said dangerous conditions are expected in North Carolina, including hurricane and tropical storm force winds, tornadoes, and flooding. “That status or category of a storm can be misleading. Whether it’s labeled a tropical storm or a hurricane, you should take this storm seriously,” Cooper said, adding that inland areas are also at risk.

2:43 p.m.: Johnston County Public Schools announced that all Summer Feeding Sites will be closed on Tuesday due to Tropical Storm Isaias. In addition, all voluntary athletic workouts are canceled.

2:32 p.m.: Rocky Mount has declared a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Isaias, but there is no curfew in place. Sandbags are available at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex for residents and businesses who may experience flooding with a limit of five sandbags per person.

2:30 p.m.: Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin is urging residents to remember to follow coronavirus safety guidelines during Tropical Storm Isaias. Baldwin said if you must leave your home for safety reasons, it is best to stay with family members or a friend instead of going to a shelter, due to the pandemic.

2:20 p.m.: All government offices in Wayne County will be closing at 4 p.m. today due to Tropical Storm Isaias.

2 p.m.: Tropical Storm Isaias has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and is tracking north at 15 mph. The storm is 325 miles south-southwest of Raleigh and expected to make landfall near Myrtle Beach around 9 p.m.

1:30 p.m.: Ferry operation to Ocracoke Island was suspended Monday afternoon and will only resume once conditions make it safe.

Since Friday, 3,538 people and 1,710 vehicles left Ocracoke on the Hatteras, Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferry routes.

1 p.m.: Community colleges in Nash, Sampson and Wilson counties canceled classes scheduled Monday afternoon and evening ahead of Tropical Storm Isaias. Fayetteville Technical Community College will also close early Monday.

In Edgecombe and Nash counties, district courts will be closed Tuesday.

11 a.m.: The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for the eastern half of North Carolina Monday morning, a swath of counties stretching from the Triangle to the coast. Over the next 36 hours, communities in the warned area could see wind gusts of up to 70 mph.

The Triangle and communities inland are expected to bear the brunt of Isaias Monday night and into Tuesday, with the highest winds and heaviest rain coming overnight.

“There will be trees down, and there will be power outages,” said WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth. “This is going to be pretty dangerous since it is happening while people are sleeping.”

Isaias, with winds of up to 70 mph, was still a tropical storm Monday morning, but it was expected to regain hurricane strength by afternoon before a forecast landfall near Myrtle Beach around 9 p.m.

Storm surge warnings are in effect for the entire coast of North Carolina.

WRAL covers Hurricane Isaias

The WRAL News team is deployed from Myrtle Beach to the Outer Banks and from the coast to the Sandhills to the Triangle to cover Hurricane Isaias. Click on your city for our coverage of the storm as it passes and the aftermath.