Hurricane warnings are in effect for parts of the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Isaias continues to strengthen while moving toward the United States.
The Category 1 storm became a hurricane overnight, making it the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season.
State of emergencies
The governors of Alabama and Florida declared states of emergency ahead of Isaias' expected landfall. Forecasters expect the hurricane to come ashore late Friday or early Saturday as a strong Category 2 storm.
Governors across the Gulf Coast joined forecasters in urging residents to prepare for potential storm damage and prolonged power outages. Landfall is expected near Mobile Bay.
RELATED STORY | Study: Super-sized El Niño could cause more than 450,000 heat deaths by February
"Right now, everything I've looked at, I'm going to say noon on Friday. I want them off the roads. I want them somewhere safe, wherever that is, by noon on Friday," Mike Evans, director of the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency, told reporters.
It has been nearly two years since a hurricane made a direct U.S. landfall. The last hurricane to strike the United States was Hurricane Milton in 2024, when it came ashore along the Florida coast as a Category 3 storm. Milton was the ninth-costliest hurricane in U.S. history.
Last year marked the first hurricane season in a decade without a U.S. hurricane landfall.
Isaias is the ninth named storm of the Atlantic season and the first to reach hurricane strength. The Atlantic is on pace for its quietest season since 2013, when only two hurricanes formed.
The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season passed nearly a month ago.
Challenging forecast
One factor that has limited hurricane development this season is a strong El Niño pattern, which has increased wind shear in areas where tropical systems typically form. Isaias is also encountering wind shear.
However, forecasters say warm water temperatures and favorable humidity levels have helped fuel the storm's development into a hurricane.
RELATED STORY | Forecast calls for below-normal Atlantic hurricane season amid El Niño conditions
The National Hurricane Center said forecasting Isaias' exact strength at landfall remains challenging. However, because wind shear is not expected to increase before landfall, forecasters believe the storm could continue to intensify.
"Isaias is expected to remain a dangerous hurricane through landfall, and gusty winds are expected well inland after landfall given the anticipated expansion of the wind field and accelerating forward speed of the storm," the National Hurricane Center said.
Inland impacts
After making landfall, Isaias is expected to weaken. However, its large wind field and heavy rainfall could bring impacts to parts of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. Those areas could face a rainy and windy weekend as the system moves inland.
The hurricane also could affect several major college football games this weekend, including the matchup between Alabama and Georgia in Tuscaloosa. Officials at the University of Alabama said they are continuing to closely monitor the forecast, but the game remains scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. local kickoff.
President Donald Trump is expected to attend Saturday's game.
