Hurricane Isaias approaches northern Gulf Coast as states prepare

Hurricane Isaias approaches northern Gulf Coast as states prepare

Hurricane Isaias strengthened Wednesday night into the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season and was forecast to approach the northern Gulf Coast on Friday afternoon, with possible landfall late Friday or early Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of Thursday afternoon, the storm was about 355 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving east-northeast at 10 mph with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. Forecasts placed possible landfall near Mobile Bay and the Florida-Alabama border. A hurricane warning stretched from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Mexico Beach area in Florida. Storm surge alerts covered a broader section of the coast, with water potentially reaching 5 to 7 feet from Ocean Springs to Indian Pass, Florida, if peak surge coincides with high tide. Heavy rain could also cause flash flooding, including in areas already saturated by recent rainfall. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared an emergency in 40 counties, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a declaration for 25 counties. Evacuation orders were in effect in parts of seven Florida counties. DeSantis said more than 6,000 utility and restoration workers were standing by and about 5,000 Florida National Guard personnel would be available. FEMA said teams were deploying to Alabama and Florida, personnel were embedded in state emergency operations centers, and emergency supplies were being positioned at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. The Guardian reported that emergency-management experts raised concerns about FEMA’s response capacity after staffing cuts, though Gulf Coast officials said they were prepared and coordinating with the agency.