Hurricane Isaias is a high-end Class 2 storm at the moment headed towards the Gulf Coast, with landfall anticipated Friday night alongside Florida’s Panhandle.
The storm might strengthen into a serious Class 3 hurricane Friday earlier than weakening again to Class 2 forward of landfall, which is predicted between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Rain reached the Florida Panhandle early Friday and is predicted to unfold throughout the central Gulf Coast as winds choose up and tropical-storm-force winds are anticipated to succeed in the Gulf Coast later Friday morning, adopted by hurricane-force winds within the afternoon.
Landfall is predicted inside 40 miles east or west of Pensacola, presumably between Pensacola and Destin with probably the most harmful circumstances anticipated close to the storm’s heart and east of the place it makes landfall, that means the realm from Pensacola to Panama Metropolis might bear the brunt of the hurricane.
Harmful circumstances are anticipated and energy outages might final for an prolonged interval, significantly within the Florida Panhandle.
The final hurricane to make landfall in america was Milton, which got here ashore south of Tampa close to Siesta Key, Florida, on Oct. 9, 2024 — precisely two years in the past from Friday. In 2025, the U.S. went by means of its first 12 months in a decade and not using a hurricane making landfall.
A hurricane warning is at the moment in impact from simply east of Biloxi, Mississippi, by means of Cellular and Pensacola to Panama Metropolis and Mexico Seaside, Florida the place wind gusts in these areas might attain 75 to 110 mph.
A tropical storm warning can be in impact from the jap coast of Louisiana north to Montgomery and Tallahassee, Florida, the place gusts might attain 50 to 75 mph.
Males board up home windows of a sports activities bar as Hurricane Isaias strikes by means of the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to strengthen earlier than reaching the US Gulf Coast, in Perdido Key, Florida, US, October 8, 2026.
Marco Bello/Reuters
In the meantime, a tropical storm watch is extending from Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Albany, Georgia, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi the place gusts of as much as 55 mph are attainable.
Storm surge of 5 to 7 ft can be attainable from Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Pensacola, Miramar Seaside, Laguna Seaside, Panama Metropolis, Destin, Mexico Seaside and Port St. Joe, Florida.
A storm surge of 4 to six ft is feasible in Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi the place the rising water might be accompanied by waves reaching as much as 30 ft in some locations.
Rainfall totals of 4 to eight inches, with remoted most quantities of as much as 15 inches, are attainable throughout southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and the Massive Bend area of Florida.
The coastal Carolinas and southern Appalachians might obtain 3 to five inches of rain, with remoted quantities reaching 10 inches and the remainder of the Southeast is predicted to see widespread rainfall of 1 to three inches, with some localized areas receiving as much as 5 inches.
Flash and concrete flooding are possible throughout the area, with appreciable impacts attainable throughout a lot of southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia. River flooding can be anticipated, and a few areas might expertise vital flooding.
