First Hurricane of the Atlantic season due to hit the Gulf coast

October 8, 2026

Hurricane Isaias has become the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season after an unusually quiet period caused by El Niño conditions that typically suppress storm development. The storm reached Category 1 status Thursday morning with winds exceeding 80 mph and is forecast to strengthen to a strong Category 2 hurricane before making landfall along the Florida Panhandle and Mississippi border area on Saturday. The hurricane is expected to bring destructive winds up to 110 mph, torrential rainfall of 3-10 inches, and dangerous storm surges to Gulf Coast communities.

Who is affected

Residents of the US Gulf Coast, particularly from south-east Louisiana to north-west Florida
Communities in the Florida Panhandle and along the Mississippi border
Residents of 25 Florida counties covered by the state of emergency declaration
People in Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee Valley, and the Carolinas who will experience weakened storm effects
Parts of Mexico, specifically areas around the Bay of Campeche and Yucatan Peninsula

What action is being taken

The US National Hurricane Center is issuing updates and monitoring the storm's intensification
The US National Weather Service has issued Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches along the Gulf Coast
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency across 25 counties

Why it matters

This hurricane marks the end of a record-breaking quiet Atlantic season and demonstrates that even strong El Niño conditions, which typically suppress hurricane formation through increased wind shear, cannot completely prevent storm development when other favorable conditions exist. The storm poses significant dangers including damaging winds up to 110 mph, potential flash flooding from up to 10 inches of rain in some areas, storm surge, and river flooding risks. The combination of these hazards threatens lives, property, and infrastructure across a large portion of the southeastern United States.

What's next

Isaias is expected to intensify to a strong Category 2 hurricane by Friday morning
Landfall is anticipated around the Florida Panhandle and Mississippi border in the early hours of Saturday local time
After landfall, the storm will move north into Alabama and Missouri, weakening to a tropical storm while continuing to bring dangerous winds and flooding rains throughout Saturday
The weakened system will bring potentially disruptive wet weather to the south-east USA as far north as the Tennessee Valley and the Carolinas

Read full article from source: BBC