Isaias Becomes 2026's First Atlantic Hurricane

Isaias became the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season late Wednesday, the latest date in 121 years that a season's first hurricane has formed, just short of a record set on Oct. 8, 1905. The season had been unusually quiet, a lull attributed to a strong El Niño.

Early Thursday, Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and was about 420 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving east-northeast at 9 mph. Landfall is expected late Friday or early Saturday inside a hurricane warning that runs from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida, a stretch that includes the Alabama coast.

How strong it will be at landfall is the least certain part of the forecast. The National Hurricane Center expects it to strengthen further through early Friday, and CBS quotes forecasters saying it should remain a strong hurricane near the coast. Weather.com says wind shear should weaken it before landfall, making Category 1 the most likely intensity near the coast and Category 2 possible.

The water may matter more than the wind. Storm surge of 5 to 7 feet is forecast from Ocean Springs to Indian Pass, Florida, and in Mobile Bay, if the peak coincides with high tide. The surge warning runs from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Steinhatchee River in Florida. Rain of 3 to 7 inches, with local totals up to 10, is forecast from far southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, and isolated tornadoes are possible Friday night in coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Louisiana is outside the hurricane warning but still in the forecast. A tropical storm warning covers the area east of the Jefferson and Plaquemines parish line, surge of 3 to 5 feet is forecast from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, and Lake Pontchartrain could see 1 to 3 feet.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for 40 counties, effective Wednesday at 4 p.m. and lasting seven days unless changed. The order also activates the state's price-gouging law and prepares the National Guard. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared an emergency for 25 counties.

Evacuation orders differ by place. Dauphin Island, Alabama, has a mandatory evacuation for the west end of the island, and Okaloosa County, Florida, has ordered Zones A and B to leave. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have urged a voluntary evacuation of non-residents and people in low-lying, flood-prone areas. Residents should check their own county's zones and orders.

Offshore, operators had shut in 511,619 barrels of oil a day as of 11 a.m. CDT Wednesday, about 25 percent of Gulf oil output, along with about 16 percent of Gulf natural gas. Eight of 371 manned production platforms had been evacuated. Those figures are a day old and will change as the storm closes in.

This is a developing story. WECU News will update it as new advisories come in.

Sources:

National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Isaias Public Advisory (Oct. 8, 1 a.m. CDT, Advisory 6A)

CBS News: Isaias becomes first hurricane of 2026 Atlantic season, threatens northern Gulf Coast (Oct. 8)

NPR (via NPR Illinois): Isaias strengthens into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season (Oct. 8)

Weather.com: Isaias is the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026; hurricane warnings for Gulf Coast (Oct. 8)

Fox Weather: Hurricane Isaias rapidly intensifies, evacuation orders expand across Gulf cities (updated Oct. 8)

WSFA: State of emergency declared for 40 Alabama counties ahead of Isaias (Oct. 7)

BSEE: MMA monitors Gulf oil and gas activities in response to Isaias (Oct. 7)