Angie Lassman

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, one of the quietest on record. It is forecast to turn toward the northern Gulf Coast and make landfall as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane late Friday or early Saturday, according to @nbcnews @angielassman. Isaias is expected to reach hurricane strength Thursday and could peak near 110 mph before wind shear weakens it as it approaches the coast. There is still uncertainty over exactly where Isaias will make landfall. The GFS, the main American model, projects that the storm will move west toward a landfall in Louisiana or Mississippi late Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the Google AI model projects it will move east toward Florida on Friday evening. The National Hurricane Center’s current forecast takes the storm toward the Alabama/western Florida Panhandle area. This is the first hurricane-free September in the Atlantic since 1994 — only the eighth since the 1850s and the second since the start of the satellite era. A hurricane-free September is surprising because the month is statistically the peak of Atlantic hurricane season. Scientists say this is because of a strong El Niño, a natural warming of the central Pacific that strengthens winds over the Atlantic, breaking storms up before they form. Hurricane and storm surge watches are in effect from Mississippi to Florida. Heavy rain is expected to begin Friday, with flash flooding, damaging wind gusts, and even tornadoes possible as the storm comes ashore. Isaias is expected to weaken inland but bring rain to the north, raising flood concerns as far as the mountains of North Carolina. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 25 counties Tuesday. Chevron, Shell, and BP are pulling nonessential personnel from offshore Gulf of Mexico oil platforms. Source: @nbcnews @foxweather @weatherchannel @cnn