Gulf Coast on Friday (October 9, 2026) while Hurricane Isaias gained strength as it charged toward the beaches of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Homeowners gassed up generators, filled bathtubs with water and bought last-minute supplies along the U.S.
Because isaias isn’t as powerful as other hurricanes he’s experienced, he decided to stay put.
Neighbor Jay Brazzell said he went through a checklist of things to do, including stocking up on ice and gasoline. “I mean I’m not boarding up,” said Brazzell, 69. “I’ve been through, this being, the ninth hurricane.”
Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The couple installed hurricane shutters, picked up anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile and have two generators ready if they lose power. “Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help. “It’s just another adventure. The beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open through severe weather and often is a measuring stick of a storm’s severity. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents to expect power outages, gasoline shortages and closures of bridges and highways.
One of the biggest concerns is a storm surge that could be as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters), according to the National Hurricane Center. As of early afternoon, the storm was centered about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Pensacola and moving to the north-northeast, the center said. It was packing 120 mph (193 kph) sustained winds Friday morning and picking up speed. Category 3 storms are considered major hurricanes and are capable of causing devastation.
Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the Florida beach community of Gulf Breeze, said everyone in their neighborhood planned to ride out the storm. All good,” she said. In a sign of how serious the warnings are, dozens of Waffle Houses in the Florida Panhandle were closed, according to the company’s website.
The Category 3 storm has grown into a major hurricane — the first of an unusually quiet Atlantic season — and is expected to make landfall Friday (October 9, 2026) night. Still, heavy rain is forecast as it moves inland, with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama to southwestern Georgia. Isaias, which will be the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024, also is expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, and then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
Tropical storm-force winds began to lash the Gulf shoreline around midday, hours before Isaias was expected to make landfall between Mobile Bay on the Alabama coast and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle. The low-lying coastal area is known for its powdery white sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks. Residents in Panama City, Florida, braved the rain while filling sandbags Friday to protect their houses. “I mean, it’s just the nature of the beast. Rain began falling along the coast Friday morning, and tropical storm conditions were picking up in the early afternoon.
It’s Florida,” said Corliss Stone, who works for the fire department. Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said. Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken until it is downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the hurricane center said.
Forecasters warned of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.
