Hurricane Isaias intensified to a Category 3 storm early Friday, with the National Hurricane Center reporting maximum sustained winds of 120 mph at 7:20 a.m. CDT. The system is moving north‑northeast at about 15 mph toward the northern Gulf Coast.
Alabama prepares for landfall
Alabama Emergency Management Agency meteorologist Jim Stefkovich said the forecast calls for Isaias to make landfall between 9 p.m. Friday and midnight, somewhere between Gulf Shores and Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. The agency expects the storm to arrive as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 100 mph and gusts up to 120 mph.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Conecuh and Covington counties, with a tropical‑storm warning extending farther inland. A tropical‑storm watch stretches north toward Interstate 20.
Storm‑surge heights could reach 6 to 9 feet along the immediate coastline and 4 to 6 feet in Mobile Bay Friday night into early Saturday, according to the Alabama agency.
Impact expected inland
Even after the eye moves ashore, sustained winds near the storm’s center are projected to remain at 60 to 70 mph as Isaias pushes into south‑central Alabama around 7 a.m. Saturday. Those winds should taper to around 40 mph near I‑20 by 1 p.m. Saturday and to 30‑35 mph as the system exits the state that evening. Gusts may still knock down trees, damage property and cause power outages through Saturday afternoon.
Rainfall totals are forecast at 1 to 4 inches across most of Alabama, with 4 to 6 inches expected in the far southern portion of the state. Some locations could see double those amounts, raising the risk of flooding.
A flood watch will be activated across the state in stages, beginning Friday afternoon in southern Alabama and early Saturday morning farther north. A high‑wind watch begins early Saturday for northern areas.
Potential tornadoes and evacuation orders
Southern Alabama could see a few tornadoes Friday afternoon and overnight, with a risk of additional tornadoes in far‑eastern Alabama from late Saturday morning through the afternoon.
Governor Kay Ivey issued a Supplemental Emergency Order requiring tourists, visitors and non‑residents to evacuate Mobile County’s Evacuation Zone 1—including Dauphin Island and parts of Bayou La Batre—and all areas south of the Intracoastal Waterway in Baldwin County, including Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Gulf State Park.
Neighboring states brace for impacts
Mississippi officials said the state does not expect a direct landfall but still anticipates strong winds, heavy rain and coastal storm surge. Hurricane and tropical‑storm warnings cover several southeastern counties.
In Florida, 27 counties are under a state of emergency. More than 6,000 utility lineworkers and restoration personnel stand by, and about 5,000 Florida National Guard members are expected to be mobilized by Friday. Florida also announced a partnership with Uber to provide free rides to shelters in counties covered by the emergency declaration; residents can use the code ISAIAS26.
Looking ahead
Alabama officials expect the most significant wind and rain impacts to subside by Sunday, though isolated flooding and power outages may linger in the days after the storm.
Residents are urged to follow local emergency‑management updates, secure property, and heed evacuation orders where issued.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
