Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin along Florida’s western Panhandle late Friday evening as a Category 2 storm, bringing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
Follow live updates on Hurricane Isaias to track the storm’s path, get the latest news, and more
The National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center crossed the coast at about 8:30 p.m. CDT. As the eye moved inland, hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge hit coastal communities from southern Alabama to the Florida Panhandle.
The National Weather Service issued a storm surge warning from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Florida’s Suwannee River. A hurricane warning remained in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida.
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Conditions were expected to worsen quickly for residents in areas under hurricane and storm surge warnings as Isaias moved north at roughly 18 mph.
Forecasters cautioned that parts of the coast east of the landfall area could see 6 to 9 feet of inundation. Damaging winds were also expected to reach well inland across southern Alabama.
Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with isolated amounts reaching 15 inches, threatened to trigger flash flooding across the region through the weekend. Isaias is expected to weaken as it moves toward the Tennessee Valley.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
