New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio is urging residents to stay safe as Tropical Storm Isaias could bring tornados to the area.

The five boroughs are currently under a tornado watch until 4 p.m. If a tornado warning is issued, residents are advised to take cover immediately.

New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell says that the storm has shifted to the west, which has put the strongest wind band track right over the city. Wind speeds can reach between 45 to 55 mph with gusts up to 75 mph.

There are also flash flood watches in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Brooklyn is also facing a coastal flood warning and the Bronx is facing a coastal flood watch.

Coastal areas can face up to 1 to 2 feet of water with dangerous rip currents. Residents are being told to move their vehicle to higher ground.
All people are being warned that swimming during the storm could be life-threatening.

The worst of the storm is expected to be between 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

De Blasio also spoke about the city's future in fighting global warming. He says that climate change is putting more and more pressure on coastal areas all around the world.

"This is not an abstraction," de Blasio says.

The city is putting major measures in place to reimagine their future, especially after Superstorm Sandy.

Director of Mayor's Office Resiliency Jainey Bavishi says that more than $20 billion has been spent to build long-term resiliency efforts throughout the city. Some of these efforts include reconfiguring underground electrical networks, strengthening storm doors and creating curbside rain gardens to prevent flooding.

The mayor also touched upon the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the city's economy.

He announced that Facebook will be adding another building in the city, which will increase the company's employees to almost 10,000 in the city.

De Blasio says technology jobs will be a big part of "economic rebirth" of the city's future after the pandemic.

Numbers related to coronavirus continued to be below the threshold. A total of 73 new patients were hospitalized for the virus, 271 coronavirus patients are in the ICU and 1% of New York City residents tested positive for the virus.