Hurricane Isaias Strengthens Rapidly, Threatens Gulf Coast
The powerful storm is projected to reach near Category 3 strength before making landfall.
Hurricane Isaias rapidly intensified Thursday morning, churning in the Gulf of Mexico and posing a life-threatening risk to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Meteorologists anticipate the storm could reach near Category 3 strength before making landfall late Friday.
Forecasters issued warnings of "dangerous, life-threatening" conditions along portions of the northern Gulf Coast, anticipating impacts to begin Friday and continue through the weekend. The storm was located roughly 380 miles southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River early Thursday, moving east-northeast at approximately 10 mph. Its maximum sustained winds had reached 80 mph, classifying it as a Category 1 hurricane.
Isaias is expected to remain a dangerous hurricane up to the point of landfall, with hurricane-force gusts potentially extending well inland afterward. The storm is projected to bring up to 10 inches of rain to areas from Louisiana to Florida. Coastal cities in the Florida panhandle, including Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and Niceville, along with parts of southern Alabama, have issued voluntary evacuation orders.
According to meteorologists, Isaias is the first hurricane of the Atlantic storm season in recorded history to form this late.
