Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season. It is now a major Category 3 storm. The storm is moving toward the United States Gulf Coast. On Friday morning, planes measured wind speeds of 120 mph (193 km/h). The storm will hit the northern Gulf Coast on Friday evening. It will bring strong winds and heavy rain.
The storm is 260 miles (415 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It is moving northeast at 14 mph (22 km/h). Experts say the storm will be dangerous in the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, and southern Mississippi. There is a hurricane warning from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida. There is also a storm surge warning from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River. This means the sea level will rise and cause flooding.
Isaias will bring a lot of rain. Most areas will get between 75mm and 150mm of rain. Some places might get 250mm of rain. This can cause flash floods. On Thursday, the storm was a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). It became a Category 3 storm very quickly on Friday morning. This season was very quiet before because of a strong El Niño. Now, Isaias is the first major hurricane of the year. People in the warning areas should stay safe and watch the news.