Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a Category 3 storm on Friday, packing 120 mph winds as it bore down on the Alabama-Florida line. Officials ordered evacuations and declared states of emergency across the Gulf Coast as the National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening storm surge and flash flooding.
Isaias intensified into a major hurricane Friday, tracking toward the U.S. Gulf Coast with winds strong enough to cause devastating damage. The storm was forecast to make landfall late Friday along the Alabama-Florida line, threatening the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi.
Storm strength and track
The Category 3 storm carried 120 mph winds and was still strengthening, according to the National Hurricane Center. Isaias was centered about 200 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving north at roughly 15 mph. Forecasters expected landfall between Mobile Bay and Choctawhatchee Bay in the evening, with the storm weakening quickly once onshore. By Saturday afternoon, the center said Isaias would likely be downgraded to a tropical storm as it pushed north and inland along the Alabama-Mississippi line.
Forecasters urged residents to finish preparations quickly. According to the National Hurricane Center: "Preparations should be rushed to completion as the weather will go downhill quickly today." Officials cautioned that while Isaias was not expected to make landfall at peak intensity, it would likely still be a significant hurricane at the coast.
Surge, flooding and tornado risk
Beyond wind, the storm threatened flash flooding and tornadoes, the hurricane center said. Isaias was forecast to bring a storm surge as high as 5 to 7 feet, with the deepest water striking immediate coastal areas alongside large, dangerous waves. A hurricane warning covered the stretch from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle, while tropical storm warnings extended from southeastern Louisiana to the Aucilla River along Florida's Big Bend.
Evacuations and emergency response
Coastal communities moved fast once the forecast firmed up. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered non-residents to evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island immediately, and several counties announced mandatory evacuations for parts of the coast. The governors of Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency across dozens of counties, and Florida's Ron DeSantis said about 5,000 National Guard troops were expected to mobilize by Friday. On Dauphin Island, officials encouraged voluntary evacuations, particularly along the barrier island's storm-surge-prone western section.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon was forecast to strengthen into a Category 4 storm after forming off Mexico earlier in the week, the hurricane center said.
Source: CNBC
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