Category 2 Hurricane Prompts Evacuations as It Approaches Florida

Evacuations were underway across Florida on Thursday night after a record-breaking storm rapidly strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane.

Hurricane Isaias was expected to intensify further as it moved toward a landfall near the northern Gulf Coast later this weekend.

Officials declared states of emergency in parts of Florida, Alabama and Georgia, with mandatory evacuation orders issued in some communities.

‘What does mandatory evacuation mean? No one is coming to your door to force you out. That is not how this works,’ Bobby Wagner, the mayor of Destin, Florida, wrote in a social media post.

‘If you stay and something goes wrong, you are on your own until it’s over. No police, no fire, no EMS,’ he added.

Airports in Florida were scheduled to close before the storm arrived, while Amtrak services were disrupted in parts of Louisiana and Alabama.

Coastal areas could face storm surges of up to seven feet, as much as 15 inches of rain and brief tornadoes that may develop with little or no warning.

Forecasters warned that the storm could cause flooding and widespread power outages, while strong winds may bring down trees.

‘Damaging hurricane force winds are expected over portions of Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, and southern Mississippi,’ the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

‘Residents in these areas should prepare for the possibility of long-duration power outages.’

The NHC reported that Hurricane Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

Forecasts indicated that the storm could briefly reach major hurricane strength early Friday before weakening later that night.

A major hurricane is defined as a Category 3 storm or stronger, with sustained winds of at least 111 mph.

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Captain Mark McCoy, an Air Force Reserve weather officer, told CNN that his team encountered ‘a lot of dry air’ while flying through the storm.

‘It was slowly gaining strength as we were in there,’ he told the outlet.

The mission lasted more than nine hours as the crew flew through the hurricane’s eye.

Although Isaias could weaken to a Category 1 or 2 storm later Friday night, its wind field was still expected to expand.

That would allow dangerous conditions to extend well beyond the storm’s center as it moved near a warm eddy—a rotating pocket of warm ocean water beneath the surface.

Deep pockets of heat in the ocean provide fuel for hurricanes to expand. 

‘Considerable flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding, will be possible,’ the NHC wrote. 

Ahead of the storm, residents prepared days in advance stocking up on grocery essentials and fuel tanks during the state of emergency. 

Energy companies such as Chevron and Shell have shut down production at some offshore facilities while also evacuating workers. 

Federal agencies have prepared to help anyone affected by Hurricane Isaias throughout the weekend. 

‘As Hurricane Isaias approaches the Gulf Coast, the Department of Homeland Security, and FEMA are closely monitoring the storm and coordinating with state, local, and federal partners to ensure we are ready to support state response efforts,’ Markwayne Mullin, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, wrote in a social media post. 

‘Take this storm seriously, look out for your neighbors, and stay safe,’ Mullin wrote.