Hurricane Isaias live updates: Gulf coast braces for category 3 storm to make landfall

While deadly storm surge and hurricane-force winds are the biggest threat to life close to the cyclone’s center, other impacts from Isaias could reach states much further away.

AccuWeather, the online forecasting service, is warning of tornadoes far from the hurricane’s core, and deep inland. While the highest risk will be near and to the east and southeast of the center of the storm, the service said, tornadoes can extend out for hundreds of miles.

“The combination of a zone of warm and humid air near the ground and a wedge of dry air at mid-levels of the atmosphere may pave the way for severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said in a statement.

Tornado risk will be highest in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi to southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia on Friday night into Saturday as the storm makes landfall and moves inland, AccuWeather said.

Through Sunday and Sunday night, the risk will extend from central Georgia to much of South Carolina, North Carolina and southern Virginia.

Alabama’s Mobile regional airport will close in the next hour to commercial flights as Isaias gets closer, authorities announced in a social media post.

Delta, American and United airlines all operate from the airport, which said air traffic had already been disrupted by worsening weather conditions. The airport will close at 1pm CT (2pm ET).

Florida’s Pensacola international airport closed its passenger terminal at 10am CT Friday, and the smaller, regional Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport halted operations on Thursday night “until further notice”.

With Hurricane Isaias expected to make landfall later on Friday or early on Saturday, Gulf coast residents boarded up houses and shops and secured belongings to protect them against the coming storm. Residents in Mobile, Alabama, were picking up sandbags at a local recreation center.

These are some of the latest images from the newswires as people prepare for the hurricane:

The 11am ET update on Hurricane Isaias from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami brought unwelcome news in that predicted wind shear that had been expected to weaken the storm ahead of landfall might not materialize in time.

Isaias is currently churning in the northern Gulf of Mexico as a major category 3 hurricane with sustained wind speeds above 111mph (178kph). According to the NHC, it could still be one as it comes ashore.

A series of regional models, NHC hurricane specialist Robbie Berg wrote in the latest advisory, “all suggest that Isaias could maintain major hurricane intensity up until its landfall this evening.

“Weakening will occur after landfall, but sustained hurricane-force winds will likely occur near and along Isaias’s track up to 100 miles inland from the coast into southern Alabama, and gusts to hurricane force could extend even farther north into central Alabama.”

The Saffir-Simpson scale that grades tropical cyclones characterizes a category 3 hurricane as one in which: “Devastating damage will occur. Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends.

“Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.”

Forecasters at AccuWeather are equally cautious.

“Isaias is in a race against the clock,” its expert meteorologist Tyler Roys said in a statement.

“Strong winds high in the atmosphere are expected to disrupt the hurricane before landfall, but if those winds arrive even a few hours later than expected, Isais could maintain its Category 3 strength.

“Regardless of whether it makes landfall as a Category 2 hurricane or Category 3 hurricane, communities along the Gulf Coast face a serious threat from life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding.”

Welcome to our live coverage of Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season, which picked up power Friday morning as it turned northwards through the Gulf of Mexico.

Isaias is expected to make landfall Friday evening or early Saturday somewhere along the northern Gulf coast.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning of life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds, and flooding in parts of Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Emergency declarations have been issued in all three states.

The storm strengthened into a major Category 3 hurricane overnight, with sustained winds in excess of 111mph (178kph). The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Friday morning it was no longer confident that upper-level wind shear will arrive in time to weaken Isaias before landfall.

I’m Richard Luscombe in Miami, and I’ll bring you developments as they happen. Meanwhile, here’s our latest news story as coastal Gulf residents prepare for impact.