Hurricane Isaias Reaches Category 2 at 100 MPH as Evacuations Are Ordered Along the Northern Gulf Coast

Hurricane Isaias intensified into a Category 2 storm on Thursday, reaching maximum sustained winds of 100 mph as it accelerated toward the northern Gulf Coast and forced evacuation orders across parts of the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Hurricane Center updates reported by the Pensacola News Journal.

In its 7 p.m. CDT update, the Hurricane Center placed the storm about 290 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving northeast at 13 mph with a minimum central pressure of 974 millibars. Forecasters expected additional strengthening through early Friday — the official forecast called for winds near 110 mph within 12 hours — and warned that Isaias would remain a dangerous hurricane as it approaches the coast on Friday night. Landfall is expected late Friday or early Saturday within the hurricane warning area, with the track centered between Mobile, Alabama, and Panama City, Florida, and the worst impacts expected east of the center.

Evacuations under way and federal teams deploying

Several Florida counties ordered evacuations ahead of the storm, including Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay, Okaloosa, Franklin and Walton, according to the News Journal. Escambia County ordered residents in Zones A and B — including Perdido Key, Innerarity Point and Pensacola Beach — to leave beginning at noon Thursday, and the order also covers anyone living in a mobile home or low-lying area. Santa Rosa County issued a similar order effective at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Bay County announced a voluntary evacuation for Zones A and B and for mobile and manufactured homes, and Okaloosa County made evacuation mandatory at noon Thursday for coastal Zones A and B.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had declared a state of emergency in 25 North Florida counties on Oct. 6. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday that its Incident Management Assistance Teams are deploying to Alabama and Florida, that emergency supplies are being prepositioned at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, and that National Urban Search and Rescue teams will be staged in Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia if needed, according to the News Journal.

Surge, flooding rain and tornadoes expected

A storm surge warning is in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Florida’s Suwannee River, a hurricane warning covers the coast from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf county line in Florida, and tropical storm warnings extend on both sides of that area, according to the Hurricane Center. Forecasters warned of 5 to 7 feet of storm surge from Ocean Springs to Indian Pass, Florida, and in Mobile Bay, with 4 to 6 feet possible from Indian Pass to the Steinhatchee River.

Rainfall of 4 to 8 inches is expected across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend and southwest Georgia from Friday through the weekend, with localized totals up to 15 inches and flash, urban and river flooding likely, according to the Hurricane Center. An isolated tornado risk begins Friday night in coastal Alabama, the Panhandle and far southwestern Georgia and continues Saturday into eastern Alabama and Georgia. Hurricane-force winds extend 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds reach 125 miles, and officials warned residents in the warning area to prepare for long-duration power outages.

Reporting based on coverage by the Pensacola News Journal of National Hurricane Center updates.