Wednesday, December 15, 2021
The season's first hurricane is set to strike between Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle tonight, with surge warnings, flooding rain and evacuations underway.
Hurricane Isaias is closing in on the northern Gulf Coast as a Category 2 storm, with landfall expected tonight or early Saturday. The National Hurricane Center put its top sustained winds at 105 mph. Forecasters say it could briefly reach major hurricane strength before it comes ashore. Those figures are the latest read as of Friday morning and will change with each advisory.
Isaias became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season on Wednesday. That is the latest start to a hurricane season in 121 years, according to NOAA records cited by CBS News. Only the 1905 season waited longer, by a single day. The system began as a disturbance in the southwestern Gulf early this week, then turned north toward the coast.
A hurricane warning runs from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay and Gulf County line in Florida. A storm surge warning stretches from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River. Tropical storm warnings reach from coastal Louisiana to the Aucilla River. Rain spreads the threat far inland. The hurricane center calls for 4 to 8 inches across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, the Big Bend, and southwest Georgia, with isolated totals near 15 inches. Tornadoes are possible from Friday evening into Saturday in the same area.
Florida, Alabama, and Georgia have each declared a state of emergency. Escambia and Okaloosa counties ordered mandatory evacuations for Zones A and B. Walton County ordered evacuations for its affected zones. Baldwin County, Alabama, opened shelters under a voluntary order. Destin's mayor warned that first responders will not enter evacuation zones once conditions turn. Gas stations in Pensacola Beach and Baldwin County were already running dry or carrying long lines on Thursday. Offshore, about a quarter of Gulf oil production was shut in as of Wednesday, roughly 511,000 barrels a day.
Those empty pumps are the pattern of most hurricanes. The supplies a household needs disappear in the last two days before landfall. Water from storm surge and flooding rain causes most hurricane deaths, which is why surge zones are cleared first. If your zone is under an order, leave when it is issued. Knowing the hazards of hurricanes helps you weigh the risk if you are just outside the line.
If you are sheltering in place, the dos and don'ts during a hurricane start with staying inside, away from windows, until the storm has fully passed. Fill clean containers today so your water storage covers a few days if the tap goes bad. Charge phones and battery banks now. Stage a power outage kit where you can reach it in the dark. Run any generator outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors and windows, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Pick the interior room you will use when a tornado hits. Turn around at any flooded road.
Where it stands now: Isaias is still over warm Gulf water with landfall hours away. Power outages are possible Saturday from Mississippi into the Carolinas as the storm moves inland. Check your evacuation zone, your water, and your fuel today. Be Prepared Not Scared!
