Tropical Storm Isaias is "quickly intensifying," the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday afternoon, and is projected to become a hurricane by Thursday morning. ET update, Isaias now has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is about 500 miles SSW of the Mouth of the Mississippi River, moving at 8 mph. The storm is expected to make landfall on the U.S. northern Gulf Coast late Friday night or early Saturday, the NHC says.
The latest track puts the storm making landfall near the Florida-Alabama border. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took to X, along with other Florida lawmakers, warning residents about the storm and its potential impacts. "There will be impacts by Isaias to the Florida panhandle.
Even if it makes landfall west of the panhandle the eastern, most dangerous side the storm will impact NW Florida. If you are in those communities make sure to execute your hurricane plan," DeSantis said. The update comes as President Donald Trump plans to visit Alabama to attend a football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama on Saturday.
When asked about his plans on Wednesday, Trump said in part, “Look, I mean, if there's an emergency, if there's a hurricane, I don't want to do anything to take the focus of all of the great people that work on those things.” "I hadn't heard about a hurricane. A hurricane is going in the vicinity of Alabama? That's not good," Trump said, adding he wants people to be safe.
According to the latest update, multiple watches are in place as the storm readies to make landfall later this week. A Storm Surge Watch is in effect from the Mouth of the Mississippi River to Yankeetown, and a Hurricane Watch is in effect for Bay St. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line to west of Bay St.
Louis, and East of Indian Pass to Aucilla River, the NHC said. The NHC warns that the "highest confidence potential impact" related to Tropical Storm Isaias will be heavy rainfall that could turn into flash flooding and then windy conditions that could lead to power outages and downed trees. The storm surge forecast stretches from portions of Louisiana into Florida, with the highest probability of up to seven feet being in Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and a portion of the eastern coast of Mississippi.
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