Isaias Strengthens to Hurricane, Targets U.S. Gulf Coast
Mandatory evacuations and school closures are underway in Florida as the storm approaches with potential for damaging winds and storm surge.
Isaias strengthened into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season on Thursday, churning toward the U.S. Gulf Coast and prompting mandatory evacuations and school closures in parts of Florida. The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm could bring damaging hurricane-force winds to the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, and southern Mississippi, accompanied by a life-threatening storm surge along the northern Gulf Coast.
Forecasters anticipate heavy rains of 3 to 7 inches across the central Gulf Coast. As of Thursday, the storm's center was approximately 460 miles south-southwest of the Mississippi River's mouth, with sustained winds near 75 mph. Landfall was anticipated as early as Friday evening.
Communities in the storm's projected path began preparations, including the temporary halting of production at some Gulf oil wells. At least four Florida school districts canceled classes, and Okaloosa County issued mandatory evacuations for some coastal areas. Governors in Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency for numerous counties, with the National Weather Service advising communities from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Gulf County, Florida, to prepare for potential long-duration power outages.
The formation of Isaias occurred more than four months into the Atlantic hurricane season, nearing a 121-year-old record for the latest-forming hurricane, which was set in 1905 when the season's first hurricane formed on Oct. 8. This season has been unusually quiet in the Atlantic, attributed to a strong El Niño, while storm activity has been above average in the Pacific.
Isaias is expected to make landfall along a coastline with a history of significant hurricane impacts, including Hurricane Camille in 1969, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Hurricane Michael in 2018. Ahead of the storm, oil and gas producers shut down approximately 25% of offshore production in the Gulf, representing about 511,000 barrels of crude per day. Eight of the Gulf's 371 manned oil platforms were evacuated.
In Alabama, governors declared a state of emergency for 40 counties. In Florida, 25 counties in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions were included in the governor's emergency declaration, with plans to deploy a search and rescue task force. Electric utilities in Pensacola were pre-positioning crews for potential power outage repairs, and city officials provided sand for residents creating sandbags. Local officials urged residents to prepare and check on vulnerable neighbors.