Hurricane Isaias strengthened from a tropical storm late Wednesday night and is expected to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend, threatening parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and the western Florida panhandle. It is the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for more than two dozen counties in his state, directing resources to prepare for potential severe impacts. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a similar state of emergency for 40 counties. According to the National Hurricane Center, Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was located about 460 miles southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Forecasters expected the storm, pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs, to pass north of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday before proceeding toward the Gulf Coast on Friday, with landfall projected for late Friday or early Saturday. Maps show the system is expected to impact parts of Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, bringing moderate to substantial rainfall to coastal and inland areas of the southeastern U.S. over the weekend and into the following week. A hurricane warning was issued Wednesday for the northern Gulf Coast from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Florida’s Bay/Gulf county line. Tropical storm warnings and storm surge warnings were also issued for neighboring coastal zones. Isaias’ progression into a hurricane on Thursday marked the latest date in 111 years for an Atlantic season’s first hurricane to develop, tying a record set on October 8, 1905, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. The season runs from June 1 through November 30 and has been unusually quiet this year. On average, an Atlantic season produces 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes, with the first named storm normally forming in mid- to late-June and the first hurricane in early- to mid-August. Meteorologists noted that the lack of activity has been largely driven by a strong El Niño over the summer, which typically brings cooler water temperatures and greater wind pattern fluctuations over the Atlantic, dampening tropical development.
Source: cbsnews.com
