Hurricane Isaias Nears Gulf Coast: Landfall Friday Night, Surge Up to 7 Feet
The latest on Isaias (developing): The National Hurricane Center says Isaias has strengthened into a hurricane — the ninth named storm and first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season. Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph and rising, with a peak around 110 mph expected early Friday (Category 2, near Category 3 strength) before slight weakening. Landfall at Category 1–2 strength is expected Friday night into early Saturday between Orange Beach, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle, closest to Orange Beach around 1 a.m. CT Saturday. Hurricane warnings run from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf county line in Florida, with the landfall consensus between Biloxi and Destin, favoring the Pensacola side. Storm-surge warnings cover the Mississippi River mouth to Florida's Suwannee River, with 5 to 7 feet possible from Ocean Springs to Indian Pass and in Mobile Bay; rainfall of 3 to 7 inches, locally 15, is forecast. The Escambia County Zone A/B evacuations reported this morning remain in effect; Florida State and Florida A&M are closed, and schools in 13 counties are shut Thursday and Friday. Florida's 25-county emergency declaration, signed Oct. 6, remains in force. Compiled from NHC and Florida emergency management updates; GSM will follow the landfall.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
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