Hurricane and storm surge watches go up on the northern Gulf Coast as Isaias strengthens
Hurricane and storm surge watches are in effect along parts of the northern Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Isaias strengthens. The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to become a hurricane Thursday and approach the coast Friday.
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Hurricane and storm surge watches are now in effect along parts of the northern Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Isaias strengthens.
The National Hurricane Center's 10 a.m. Central advisory puts the storm 540 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It was moving east-northeast at 8 mph.
Forecasters expect rapid strengthening over the next day or two. Isaias is forecast to become a hurricane Thursday and approach the northern Gulf Coast Friday.
The Hurricane Watch extends from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida. A Storm Surge Watch runs from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Yankeetown, Florida. Tropical Storm Watches cover nearby stretches of the Louisiana and Florida coasts.
The center says water could rise 5 to 7 feet above ground somewhere between Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and Indian Pass, including Mobile Bay, if peak surge arrives at high tide. It forecasts 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated totals up to 10 inches, from far southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.
Hurricane conditions could begin in the Hurricane Watch area late Friday. Tropical-storm conditions could begin in the watch areas around midday Friday.
Florida Executive Order 26-202 places 25 North Florida and Panhandle counties under a state of emergency. Lee and Collier counties are not on that list, and neither county had an active National Weather Service alert at the latest check.