Hurricane Isaias lashes the US Gulf Coast with wind and rain as it nears the Florida Panhandle

GULF BREEZE, Fla. — Intensifying winds whipped palm trees and thundering waves crashed along the beaches of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama on Friday as Hurricane Isaias swirled just offshore, picking up speed as it charged toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The Category 3 storm weakened only slightly in the afternoon and was on course to arrive in the evening as a major hurricane — and the first hurricane of an unusually quiet Atlantic season.

“Things are going to get really, really treacherous over the next couple hours,” said Jamie Rhome, deputy director for the National Hurricane Center.

Tracking late Friday afternoon showed landfall would likely take place over the western panhandle near the Pensacola area, said Robbie Berg, a national warning coordinator for the hurricane center.

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.

Wind gusts nearly at hurricane strength began to lash the Gulf shoreline in the early evening, hours before Isaias was expected to come ashore in the low-lying coastal area known for powdery white sand beaches that are dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.

A hurricane warning was in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle. Several counties announced mandatory evacuations while Mobile, Alabama, imposed a curfew beginning Friday evening until morning.

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. It’s Florida," said Corliss Stone, who works for the fire department.

Many will brave Isaias at home

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 hurricane center. Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

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. The couple installed hurricane shutters and picked up anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile.

“Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help. All good,” she said. “It’s just another adventure.”

Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center 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 beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open through severe weather and often is a measuring stick of a storm’s severity.

Kelsei Frazier, a Florida-native living in Pace who is no stranger to hurricanes, knows all about the Waffle House Index.

“We joke because if Waffle House is still open, then you know it’s not a bad hurricane, but all the Waffle Houses that I know of within at least a normal range from us are closed,” said Frazier. “Which is a pretty big deal.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents to expect power outages, gasoline shortages and closures of bridges and highways.

The state's national guard deployed about 5,000 soldiers and airmen to help with the response, and search and rescue teams were ready to respond, while some prisons evacuated inmates.

As of early evening, the storm was centered about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south-southeast of Pensacola and moving north at 17 mph (27 kph), with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the hurricane center said. Category 3 storms are considered major hurricanes and are capable of causing devastation.

The whole region could get soaked

Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken and be downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the center said.

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.

Isaias grounds flights but likely to miss oil hubs

The storm grounded most Friday flights at several Panhandle airports, including all flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, scrapped his plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He said he didn’t want to disrupt the emergency response.

Isaias was expected to miss the oil industry’s biggest hubs along the Gulf Coast, but fuel prices could rise if power outages shut down refineries for processing crude, industry experts said.

On Dauphin Island, a barrier island off the Alabama coast, Mayor Jeff Collier said he didn't expect major damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst.”

Meanwhile in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon became a Category 2 storm on Friday and was expected to strengthen further before making landfall in Mexico this weekend.

Tropical Storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend.