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Category 2 Hurricane Isaias Churns Toward Alabama, Florida
9 Oct
Summary
- Three states declared emergencies as Hurricane Isaias strengthens.
- Thousands ordered to evacuate across Alabama and Florida.
- Landfall expected Friday between Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.
Hurricane Isaias has intensified in the Gulf of Mexico, prompting states of emergency in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. The storm is predicted to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday between Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph.
Thousands of residents in Alabama and Florida have been ordered to evacuate, with mandatory orders issued for Dauphin Island, Alabama, and Okaloosa and Escambia counties in Florida. Voluntary evacuations have been recommended for low-lying areas in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama.
In preparation for the storm's arrival, oil companies such as Shell, Chevron, and BP are shutting down production, securing facilities, and removing non-essential personnel from offshore operations in the Gulf.
Isaias is expected to bring heavy rainfall, potentially leading to flash flooding and river flooding across the Southeast, with storm surge warnings in effect along the coast. The National Hurricane Center also indicates a risk of tornadoes as the storm's outer bands make landfall.
