ASN NEWS USA — NEWS FLASH
GULF OF MEXICO (ASN NEWS USA)— The season without a hurricane is officially over. Tropical Storm Isaias is spinning in the Gulf and charging straight at the northern Gulf Coast — and forecasters say it will be a hurricane by this morning and a major one by the weekend.
Isaias formed Wednesday in the southwestern Gulf with sustained winds near 65 mph, sitting roughly 500 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The National Hurricane Center expects it to become a hurricane Thursday and strengthen into a high-end Category 2 — with maximum winds near 110 mph — before making landfall late Friday into early Saturday along the Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida Panhandle coast.
More than 450 miles of coastline from Louisiana to Florida are under watches. A hurricane watch stretches from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida. A storm surge watch runs from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Yankeetown, Florida, with 5 to 7 feet of life-threatening surge forecast from Pensacola to Port St. Joe. Isolated rainfall of up to 10 inches is possible from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, with flash and urban flooding likely across the Southeast.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Tuesday for 25 counties across the Panhandle and Big Bend. Escambia County’s emergency operations center activates Thursday morning, sandbag sites are open, and the county commission holds an emergency meeting at 8 a.m. today. College sports are already falling: Mississippi State’s exhibition basketball game against Florida State in Pensacola on Saturday has been canceled.
The NHC’s bottom line: it is “looking more likely that Isaias will be a significant hurricane when it reaches the coast.” If you are on the Gulf Coast, the window to prepare is closing. Get your kit stocked, your plans set, and stay with the official advisories.
Stay tuned to ASN News USA for continuing coverage.
Reported by ASN News USA. Visit asnnewsusa.com or follow @ASNNewsUSA for updates.
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