A small house sits beside a shed in a green field under dark storm clouds. — Dark clouds build over a rural property as Hurricane Isaias approaches North Atlanta.

Hurricane Isaias weakened rapidly after striking Florida’s Gulf Coast late Friday, but North Atlanta faces another day of potentially damaging winds, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes Saturday, Oct. 10.

The storm made landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane before moving inland across Alabama. By early Saturday, it had weakened into a post-tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 35 mph.

Despite the downgrade, the threat to North Georgia remains significant. The National Weather Service expects the strongest winds across metro Atlanta to develop Saturday morning and continue through the evening, with conditions gradually improving Sunday.

A High Wind Warning is now in effect for Cherokee, Forsyth, Gwinnett, North Fulton and DeKalb counties until 8 a.m. Sunday. The warning replaces the earlier watch, reflecting the increasing likelihood of damaging winds.

Winds could reach 50 mph

East winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts approaching 50 mph, are expected across much of North Atlanta on Saturday.

The National Weather Service warning includes Cumming, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell, Duluth, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Peachtree Corners and surrounding communities.

The strongest winds are expected after 8 a.m. Saturday, with gusts gradually easing after midnight.

Saturated ground will make trees particularly vulnerable to falling. Downed branches, blocked roads and damaged power lines could interrupt travel and electricity service throughout the day.

Georgia Power was already reporting thousands of customers without electricity across the state early Saturday. Residents can follow changing conditions through the company’s live outage map.

Flood Watch continues into Sunday

A Flood Watch remains in effect across North Atlanta through 8 a.m. Sunday.

Forecasters expect 2 to 4 inches of rain across much of North and Central Georgia during the storm, although rainfall amounts will vary depending on the movement of individual rain bands.

The greatest danger will be in low-lying neighborhoods, poorly drained streets and areas near creeks and streams.

Heavy rainfall over a short period could produce flash flooding even in communities that have not experienced major problems earlier in the storm.

The latest forecast also includes a risk of brief tornadoes, particularly along Interstate 85 and areas farther south. Metro Atlanta remains within a marginal tornado risk area.

These tornadoes can develop quickly, sometimes leaving little time between a warning and their arrival.

Weekend cancellations remain in place

The storm has already disrupted weekend activities across North Atlanta.

Canton canceled Saturday’s Multicultural Festival at Harmon Park, while Suwanee canceled its Saturday Farmers Market. The next Suwanee market is scheduled for Oct. 17.

Norcross canceled its Neighborhood Cleanup and Recycling Day, with organizers working to arrange another date.

In Brookhaven, a National Alliance on Mental Illness walk was moved indoors to Brookhaven City Centre. A Georgia-Alabama football watch party scheduled at 3rd Spot in Chamblee was also canceled.

The Georgia Department of Transportation suspended scheduled weekend construction work ahead of the storm. Although some planned lane closures will not take place, fallen trees, flooding and emergency repairs could create unexpected traffic disruptions.

Residents traveling Saturday should check road conditions and event announcements before leaving home.

When will the weather improve?

The National Weather Service’s Saturday morning forecast indicates that the remnants of Isaias will continue moving northward, gradually reducing their influence over Georgia.

Strong winds and heavy rain remain possible throughout Saturday, with lingering effects into Sunday.

Most storm-related impacts are expected to end by Sunday evening.

Monday should bring a substantial improvement, with drier conditions returning across North Atlanta.

Temperatures are expected to rebound into the mid- to upper 80s during the early part of next week as high pressure builds across the Southeast.

Until then, residents should avoid driving through flooded roads, remain clear of fallen power lines and keep weather alerts enabled on their phones.

Although Isaias is no longer a hurricane, its remaining wind and rain could still make Saturday the most disruptive day of the weekend for North Atlanta.