Hurricane Isaias Intensifies as It Nears Florida Panhandle

Hurricane Isaias has reached Category 2 strength as of Thursday evening. The National Hurricane Center forecasts it will continue to intensify while approaching the Florida Panhandle late Friday.

Isaias is projected to make landfall near Pensacola. However, the storm’s track may shift as it moves north in the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters indicate the storm might weaken slightly before landfall but is expected to remain at least a Category 1 hurricane.

Damaging hurricane-force winds are predicted for parts of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, and southern Mississippi. A hurricane warning is in effect for these areas. Residents should prepare for extended power outages due to the storm.

Heavy rainfall and storm surge could occur far from the hurricane’s center, mainly to the east. A life-threatening storm surge is anticipated from the Mouth of the Mississippi River to Suwannee, Florida.

Here is the latest tracking map, which includes spaghetti models: these models display various storm forecasting paths.