Gulf Coast braces for Isaias as hurricane expected to strengthen
Por R.j. Rico,Dave Collins and Gerald Herbert — – World RSS Feed
Hurricane Isaias update: Storm strengthens to Category 3 as it surges toward Gulf Coast
The National Hurricane Center said the hurricane is set to make landfall late on Friday
R.j. Rico , Dave Collins & Gerald Herbert Friday 09 October 2026 13:42 BST
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Isaias strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on Friday as it surged toward the Gulf Coast, where final preparations were being made for potentially life-threatening storm surges and high winds.
The National Hurricane Center said the hurricane is set to make landfall late on Friday somewhere along the Alabama–Florida line.
Meanwhile, the weather event is expected to create dangerous conditions in the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi.
The Category 3 storm was packing 120 mph (193 kph) winds early on Friday before it was set to continue strengthening.
Category 3 storms can cause devastating damage, the center warned.
Isaias was expected to weaken quickly as it hits shore and be downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon as it moves north and inland along the Alabama-Mississippi line, the center said.
open image in gallery“Preparations should be rushed to completion as the weather will go downhill quickly today,” the hurricane center said in an early morning forecast. “While the storm is not expected to make landfall at peak intensity, it is likely that Isaias will still be a significant hurricane when it reaches the coast.”
Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, was centered about 200 miles (322 kilometers) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving to the north at about 15 mph (24 kph), the center said.
It was expected to make landfall between Mobile Bay on the Alabama coast and Choctawhatchee Bay in the Florida Panhandle in the evening.
Besides wind and storm surges, the hurricane will likely bring flash flooding and spawn tornadoes, the hurricane center said.
A hurricane warning was in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle. Tropical storm warnings were issued from southeastern Louisiana to Aucilla River along Florida’s Big Bend.
Preparations have been going on for days. On Thursday, residents boarded up windows and stacked sandbags while thousands of National Guard soldiers were deployed.
open image in galleryIsaias is expected to bring a storm surge as high as 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 meters), with the deepest water hitting immediate coastal areas, along with large and dangerous waves, the hurricane center said.
Coastal communities moved quickly to prepare on Thursday, as Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered non-residents to immediately evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island. Videos on social media showed traffic at a standstill on a highway leading out of Gulf Shores, where double-red beach flags signaled water access was closed.
Several counties announced mandatory evacuations for some coastal areas. The governors of Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency for dozens of counties, with Florida’s Ron DeSantis saying about 5,000 National Guard troops were expected to mobilize by Friday.
On Dauphin Island, a 15-mile (24-kilometer) barrier island off the Alabama coast, officials encouraged voluntary evacuations, particularly on its popular western section, which is vulnerable to storm surge.
Mayor Jeff Collier said he did not anticipate substantial damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst.”
Meanwhile in the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Simon, which formed as a tropical storm on Wednesday off of Mexico and became a hurricane late Thursday, was forecast to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane.
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Gulf CoastAlabamaFloridaMississippiKay IveyNational Hurricane CenterAtlanticMississippi River
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