Isaias strengthened into the Atlantic season’s first hurricane Thursday as it moved toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, prompting mandatory evacuations and school closures in parts of coastal Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.
Forecasters said Isaias could deliver hurricane-force winds to portions of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi. The storm also threatened to produce a life-threatening surge along the northern Gulf Coast, along with 3 to 7 inches (7 to 18 centimeters) of rain across the central Gulf Coast.
The storm’s center was located about 460 miles (740 kilometers) south-southwest of the Mississippi River’s mouth, with maximum sustained winds of roughly 75 mph (121 kph), according to a National Hurricane Center advisory issued from Miami.
Isaias first formed in the warm waters off eastern Mexico early Wednesday, giving communities along its projected path little time to prepare for a possible landfall as soon as Friday evening. Several Gulf oil wells halted production, at least four Florida school districts canceled classes later in the week, and Okaloosa County ordered mandatory evacuations in some coastal areas. Governors in Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency covering dozens of counties.
The National Weather Service urged communities from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Gulf County, Florida, to prepare for the possibility of “long-duration power outages.”
The hurricane formed late in the season
Isaias developed more than four months into the Atlantic hurricane season, coming close to the record for the latest first hurricane in the region. The National Weather Service said that record dates to 1905, when the season’s first Atlantic hurricane formed on Oct. 8.
Atlantic storm activity had been unusually subdued because of a strong El Niño, which interferes with hurricane formation over the ocean. In contrast, the Pacific experienced above-average activity, including the formation of Tropical Storm Simon off Mexico on Wednesday.
Isaias was forecast to approach a broad stretch of coastline with extensive experience of major hurricanes.
Hurricane Camille, one of the 20th century’s most destructive storms, killed more than 250 people after striking near Waveland, Mississippi, in 1969. Hurricane Katrina devastated communities in Mississippi, flooded New Orleans and killed nearly 1,400 people in 2005. In 2018, Hurricane Michael destroyed homes and buildings near Panama City, Florida.
Oil production and tourism already affected
Oil and gas companies shut down a significant portion of offshore Gulf production ahead of the storm. The region accounts for nearly 15% of the crude oil pumped annually in the United States.
About 25% of the region’s oil output had been suspended by Wednesday, removing approximately 511,000 barrels per day from the market, according to the Marine Minerals Administration. Eight of the Gulf’s 371 manned oil platforms had also been evacuated.
Jim Burkhard, global head of crude oil market research at S&P Global Energy, said the shutdowns were large enough to influence markets while noting that other Gulf hurricanes had caused greater disruptions. The bigger concern, he said, was whether Isaias would hit refineries as a powerful storm.
The storm’s inland track could also interfere with Saturday’s college football matchup between rivals Georgia and Alabama, which President Donald Trump planned to attend.
In Alabama, officials in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate voluntarily.
Gulf Shores resident Maranie Adams collected water and other supplies while her family moved possessions, including a hot tub motor, to higher ground. The family planned to stay home, about a half-mile from the shore, and shelter indoors with its flock of chickens.
“We’re having to get crates to bring them into the house so they don’t blow away,” Adams said. “It’s going to be noisy.”
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency in 40 counties. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did the same in 25 counties across the Panhandle and Big Bend regions, while the state prepared to deploy a Miami-based urban search and rescue task force.
In Pensacola, power companies positioned crews to respond quickly to outages. City officials supplied sand for residents filling sandbags to defend against flooding, and Mayor D.C. Reeves encouraged people to check on older neighbors and others who might need assistance.
“Obviously no need to panic at this point,” Reeves told a news conference. “This is really about preparation.”
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Rico reported from Atlanta, Collins from Hartford, Connecticut and Golden from Seattle. Associated Press journalists Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.
