Hurricane Isaias bringing ‘life threatening’ storm surge, other issues to Florida Panhandle

Gulf Coast boarded up windows and picked up last-minute supplies on Friday as Isaias strengthened into a major hurricane and carved a path toward the Alabama-Florida line.The Category 3 hurricane — the first of an unusually quiet Atlantic season — is expected to make landfall Friday night and bring significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before scattering strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.Isaias is expected to come ashore between Mobile Bay on the Alabama coast and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle — a region known for powdery white sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.Many will brave the storm at homeAnne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the panhandle beach community of Gulf Breeze, said Friday that they and all of their neighbors plan to ride out the storm. The couple put up hurricane shutters, put away anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile, stocked up on food and water, and have two generators ready if they lose power.“Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help. “It’s just another adventure.”Neighbor Jay Brazzell said he gassed up his car and made sure he'll have enough water but decided to stay put because Isaias isn't as powerful as other hurricanes he's experienced.“I mean I’m not boarding up,” said Brazzell, 69.

“I’ve been through, this being, the ninth hurricane.”Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said. Rain began falling along the coast Friday morning, and tropical storm-force winds were expected by early afternoon.A storm surge as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters) is likely in some coastal areas, according to the hurricane center. Places most at risk include Florida's Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.Florida Gov.

Ron DeSantis warned residents to expect flooding, wind damage, power outages and gasoline shortages.“When the water’s rising and things are happening, it’s a very, very difficult conundrum and you do not want to be caught in that,” he said.The hurricane center said Friday morning that time was running out to make preparations “as the weather will go downhill … Hurricane Isaias, a Category 3 storm with winds near 120 mph, is expected to make landfall on the Florida Panhandle late Friday, bringing life-threatening storm surge of up to 9 feet. The storm is expected to make landfall Friday night and bring significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before scattering strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.

Hurricane Isaias brings the threat of dangerous storm surge, high winds and heavy rainfall to the U.S. The storm prompted preparations across the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi. Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle Friday evening, bringing dangerous wind, rain, and storm surge conditions along the northern Gulf Coast.