Hurricane Isaias pushes weekend rain, wind gusts toward Waxhaw

Hurricane Isaias will push 1 to 3 inches of rain and wind gusts near 30 mph into Waxhaw, Weddington, Marvin and Wesley Chapel over the weekend.

The storm, which became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season late Wednesday, Oct. 7, is forecast to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, WBTV meteorologist Paul Heggen reported. The Carolinas will not take a direct hit, Heggen said, but moisture from the storm's outer bands will spread into the Charlotte region starting Saturday.

The National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., said in its Thursday, Oct. 8, forecast discussion that rain will begin moving in during the pre-dawn hours Saturday and reach widespread coverage by early Saturday evening. Rain is expected to continue through Sunday, with excessive rainfall possible Saturday night and Sunday.

WBTV issued a First Alert for Sunday, Oct. 11, for gusty winds and heavy rain.

Heggen said the strongest gusts could reach close to 30 mph, "enough for minor tree damage and sporadic power outages." He estimated about 1.5 inches of rain near Charlotte, with up to 3 inches possible across the broader region through Sunday.

The NWS also flagged a small risk of severe thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and a low tornado threat from early Sunday morning through Sunday afternoon across the North Carolina Piedmont. WSOC-TV meteorologist Keith Monday said Wednesday that the storm's heaviest impacts will stay west of the Carolinas, but the rain and tornado risk extend eastward.

Dry weather should return Monday.

The rain could offer some drought relief. Heggen noted that about an inch of rain around Charlotte "would be very beneficial from a drought perspective." Union County activated Stage 1 of its Water Shortage Response Plan in April, according to a county press release, though the county has not publicly updated that status.

Residents can sign up for the Town of Waxhaw's CodeRed emergency alerts by texting "WAXHAW" to 99411. Union County also operates a UC Alerts emergency notification system.