# Hurricane Isaias heads for Gulf Coast as season awakens

> The Atlantic's first hurricane in four months is expected to make landfall Friday or Saturday as a dangerous Category 2 storm.
- Title: Hurricane Isaias heads for Gulf Coast as season awakens · TIME
- Summary: The Atlantic's first hurricane in four months is expected to make landfall Friday or Saturday as a dangerous Category 2 storm. Hurricane Isaias, the…
- Keywords: hurricane isaias, gulf coast, florida, alabama, tropical storm, evacuation, el niño, news, world, Hurricane, Isaias, heads
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/08/hurricane-isaias-what-to-know
- Author: Simmone Shah
- Published: 2026-10-08T19:28:57.185+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: hurricane isaias, gulf coast, florida, alabama, tropical storm, evacuation, el niño, news, world
## First hurricane in four months
Tropical storm Isaias intensified into a hurricane early Thursday morning, becoming the first hurricane four months into the Atlantic season. It is currently a strong Category 2 hurricane.
## Landfall expected Friday or Saturday
Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall along the central Gulf Coast on Friday night or early Saturday, bringing heavy rain and flash flooding. A hurricane warning is in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida.
## Evacuations ordered in Florida and Alabama
Coastal residents of Florida's Okaloosa County have been put under evacuation order. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for twenty five counties in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for forty counties.
## El Niño delayed the season's first hurricane
Hurricane Isaias holds the record as the latest forming first hurricane in the Atlantic Basin, breaking the previous record set in nineteen oh five by Hurricane Four by three and a half hours. El Niño increased vertical wind shear, making it harder for storms to become hurricanes.
## Key takeaway

Hurricane Isaias, the Atlantic's first hurricane four months into the season, is expected to make landfall along the central Gulf Coast on Friday night or early Saturday as a strong Category 2 storm.