Hurricane Isaias strengthens as US Gulf Coast prepares for landfall

As Hurricane Isaias intensified on Thursday, US Gulf Coast communities braced for potential flooding and power outages. Mandatory evacuations were issued in Florida's Okaloosa County and emergency declarations were made in Alabama's 40 counties. The first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season was expected to reach near Category 3 intensity, with sustained winds of up to 175 kph before making landfall late Friday or early Saturday.

NHC Director Michael Brennan warned that Isaias would be a dangerous hurricane upon landfall. Earlier this week, Isaias had nearly tied the record for being the latest first Atlantic hurricane to form, occurring on October 8, 1905. The hurricane was moving east-northeast at 17 kph, approximately 570km south of the Mississippi River's mouth.

Hurricane warnings extended from Mississippi through Alabama to Florida's panhandle, while tropical-storm and storm-surge warnings covered southeastern Louisiana. Forecasters predicted storm surges reaching 1.5 to 2.1 meters above sea level in affected areas, with rainfall amounts of 8 to 18 cm and isolated totals of 38 cm. While the hurricane was expected to weaken as it approached land due to increasing vertical wind shear, it would still pose a significant threat.