Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Evacuations are underway along the northern Gulf Coast as Hurricane Isaias approaches, threatening to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane with winds exceeding 110 mph. Residents in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle are urged to move inland as the storm nears. The National Weather Service predicts severe winds will topple trees and down power lines, potentially causing power outages as far north as Tennessee.
Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and is expected to make landfall late Friday (October 9) along the Alabama-Florida state line. The storm could bring a life-threatening storm surge across Pensacola Bay and heavy rain reaching Tennessee and North Carolina over the weekend.
Both Florida and Alabama have declared states of emergency, with mandatory evacuations in some coastal areas. Duke Energy is advising its 2 million customers in the Florida Panhandle to prepare for potential power outages. The National Weather Service has warned of possible "long-duration power outages."
The storm has already prompted the closure of several Florida school districts and the mobilization of 5,000 National Guard troops. Hurricane Isaias is expected to quickly weaken after making landfall but could still disrupt the college football game between Georgia and Alabama on Saturday.