Remnants of Hurricane Isaias are expected to impact parts of East Tennessee the weekend of Oct. 10, just a little over two years after Hurricane Helene swept through parts of the area and western North Carolina.
While there might be concerns of what another hurricane could mean to the area, there are a few key differences between Helene and Isaias.
Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane and was the deadliest hurricane to hit the country since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with a death toll of 250 people, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Isaias is currently classified as a Category 3 hurricane.
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By the time Helene hit Tennessee, it was classified as a tropical storm, but it still devastated
the area. Eighteen Tennesseans died as a result of Helene. The final victim was recovered two years later on Sept. 12, 2026, in Washington County.
Helene's effects on parts of the area were catastrophic. Here's why Hurricane Isaias is not expected to wreak nearly as much havoc.
How Hurricane Isaias is different from Helene
"The current forecast is far less severe than the historic impacts experienced during Helene," the NWS said.
Ahead of Helene in 2024, there were flash floods and multiple days of sustained rain leading up to the storm's arrival. As Isaias prepares to reach the area, conditions are expected to remain mostly dry.
(Oct. 9 | 9 a.m. CT)
— Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA) (@TennesseeEMA) October 9, 2026
Hurricane Isaias is not expected to bring the same impacts as Helene, but stay vigilant.
The NWS forecasts heavy rain and gusty winds Saturday into Saturday night. Isolated flash flooding is possible.
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There were hours of high winds above 60 mph and wind gusts exceeding 70 mph during Helene. The NWS said that winds in East Tennessee during Hurricane Isaias will be around 30 to 40 mph.
The most impactful difference between the two storms is their projected rainfall totals. Rainfall totals during Helene were between 15 and 30 inches across parts of the region. Hurricane Isaias is only expected to bring 1 to 2 inches of rain to the area.
NWS Morristown Meteorologist David Hotz previously told Knox News that rain totals in Tennessee could reach up to two inches, but most of the region would only see about one-quarter to one-half inch of rain..
Hurricane tracker: Where is Hurricane Isaias now? Follow the storm's path
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Hurricane Isaias spaghetti models
The illustration includes an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts, and not all of them are publicly available.
Afton Pratt covers trending and breaking news for Knox News and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Hurricane Isaias' path differs from Helene's deadly impact in 2024
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