Hurricane Isaias Threatens US Gulf Coast as Season's First Hurricane
Isaias strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Thursday, targeting the northern Gulf Coast with life-threatening storm surge and heavy rain.
KEY POINTS
- Isaias became the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season on Thursday
- Hurricane watch issued for northern Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Florida Panhandle
- Landfall expected Friday evening with 75 mph winds and life-threatening storm surge
- Storm arrives nearly four months into season, nearly tying 1905 record for latest first hurricane
- Mandatory evacuations ordered in Florida; 25% of Gulf oil production shut in
Tropical Storm Isaias formed Wednesday in the Bay of Campeche and rapidly intensified into the Atlantic season's first hurricane by Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida, warning of dangerous storm surge and 3 to 7 inches of rain.
Forecasters project landfall between the Mississippi coast and the Florida Panhandle as early as Friday evening. The storm's late arrival nearly ties a 121-year record set in 1905 for the latest first hurricane of an Atlantic season, a delay attributed to a strong El Niño pattern.
“We're expecting multiple dangerous, life-threatening impacts along portions of the northern Gulf Coast beginning Friday and continuing into the weekend.”
Governors in Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency for dozens of counties. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for coastal areas in Okaloosa County, Florida, while at least four Florida school districts canceled classes. Gulf oil producers halted roughly 25% of regional output, removing about 511,000 barrels per day from the market.
The National Weather Service warned communities from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Gulf County, Florida, to prepare for long-duration power outages. Heavy rainfall threatens flash flooding across the central Gulf Coast through the weekend.
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