MIAMI, FL (352today.com) – Tropical Storm Isaias became a Category 1 hurricane overnight, and could make landfall in or near Florida’s Panhandle as soon as Saturday morning.
While growing consensus predicts Hurricane Isaias will more likely come ashore in Mississippi or Alabama, some models do show the possibility of the storm tracking further east.
In any case, the storm will almost certainly bring storm surges, heavy rain, flooding and high winds to Florida’s Gulf Coast by the weekend, and potentially to the Sunshine State’s interior, as well.
On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 25 Florida counties in the Panhandle and Big Ben region, including Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist and Suwannee counties in or near the North Central Florida area.
The National Hurricane Center’s latest report on Isaias, issued at 7:55 a.m. on Thursday, Hurricane Isaias had maximum sustained winds at 80 mph, and was moving through the Gulf east-northeast at 9 mph.
